Real Betis handed Barcelona a first defeat under Xavi and you can’t say it hadn’t been coming. Barca had sneaked wins over Villarreal and Espanyol before Saturday’s match but Xavi’s luck ran out as Betis struck on the counter to secure all three points.
It perhaps shouldn’t come as too big a surprise either. Real Betis are on their best start to a season in 85 years, when they won the title, and the three points at the Camp Nou take Los Verdiblancos into third place in the table.
Barca now languish down in seventh place, have won just 6 of 15 league games, and have scored just 23 goals - it’s their worst goalscoring tally for almost 20 years.