Pellegrini questions refereeing decisions as Barcelona beat Real Betis 5-2

Manuel Pellegrini criticised the refereeing decisions after Real Betis were beaten 5-2 by Barcelona in La Liga at La Cartuja.

The result left Barcelona top of the table with 27 points after nine consecutive victories, while Real Betis remained third on 19 points.

Pellegrini said the scoreline did not accurately reflect the match and claimed his side had been negatively affected by several decisions.

“Losing 5-2 to Barcelona does not reflect what happened on the pitch,” the Real Betis manager told DAZN. “There was a series of completely incomprehensible and unjustifiable incidents and refereeing decisions.”

He also questioned the dismissal of Facundo Bernal following an altercation with Lamine Yamal.

“There was also a ridiculous sending-off, and the handball before the goal was caused by a push from a Barcelona player,” Pellegrini said.

“A Barcelona player pushed mine, but it had no influence on a move that was 30 metres from the goal. For Barcelona’s third goal, one of their players raised his foot to the level of our player’s head and VAR did not intervene.”

Pellegrini added: “The sending-off came after a provocation and a push by Lamine Yamal, which Facundo reacted to. Both players should have been booked and the matter should have ended there.

“Unfortunately, we were the team damaged by the refereeing decisions.”

The referee disallowed a goal by Real Betis midfielder Giovani Lo Celso in the 45th minute because of a handball at the start of the attack. Had it stood, the goal would have made the score 2-2.

Bernal was sent off in the 54th minute after his confrontation with Yamal and hitting the Barcelona player.

The defeat was Real Betis’ first at home in La Liga since they lost 5-3 to Barcelona in December. It was also their first defeat in all competitions since a 4-2 loss to Sporting Braga in April.

Barcelona’s victory extended an unbeaten start marked by a perfect record in the league, while the club also won its opening 11 competitive matches of the season for the first time since the 1923-1924 campaign.

There were also individual milestones for two Barcelona players. Raphinha equalled Neymar’s record to become the fifth-highest appearance-maker among Brazilian players for Barcelona, with 186 matches.

Yamal became the first player in Europe’s major leagues to register 10 assists this season. He is also the leading goal contributor across the five major European leagues in all competitions, with nine goals and 10 assists.