Gonzalo Garcia Hat-Trick Fires Real Madrid Past Betis 5-1

Gonzalo Garcia produced a stunning hat-trick at the Santiago Bernabeu as Real Madrid cruised past Real Betis 5-1, closing the gap on La Liga leaders Barcelona to four points.

With Kylian Mbappe sidelined due to a twisted knee, 21-year-old Garcia stepped up in sensational fashion, scoring his first three La Liga goals to guide Los Blancos to an emphatic victory in front of their home crowd.

Garcia Shines in Mbappe’s Absence

Garcia, who was instrumental in Madrid’s FIFA Club World Cup triumph last year, made just his second league start of the season, but seized his opportunity with a performance that left fans stunned.

“In front of me I obviously have the best players in the world… I just focus on myself,” Garcia said post-match.

The young forward opened the scoring in the 20th minute with a powerful back-post header, and doubled his tally with a spectacular chest-and-volley finish early in the second half to calm Madrid’s nerves.

He completed his hat-trick with a sublime backheel flick from Arda Guler’s low cross – a goal that will surely feature in highlight reels for weeks.

Real Madrid Ruthless Despite Betis Fightback

Raul Asencio scored Madrid’s third from a corner, also netting his first senior goal, as Xabi Alonso’s side dominated the second half.

Betis managed to respond through Cucho Hernandez, who rounded Thibaut Courtois to make it 3-1, and Giovani Lo Celso and Riquelme both hit the woodwork as the visitors pushed back.

However, Real Madrid’s attacking depth proved too much, with Fran Garcia adding a fifth in stoppage time following an assist from Federico Valverde.

What This Means

• Real Madrid: 2nd place, now 4 points behind leaders Barcelona

• Real Betis: Remain 6th, still in European contention but faltering defensively

Madrid will pause La Liga action next weekend as they prepare for a crucial Super Cup semi-final against Atletico Madrid on Thursday, 8 January.

Key Stats

• Thibaut Courtois returned in goal for Madrid

• No yellow cards issued in a largely clean match

• Garcia’s first La Liga hat-trick (3 goals)

• Mbappe missed the game with a knee injury (return date TBD)