Gonzalo García’s Hat-Trick Shines as Real Madrid Thrashes Real Betis 5-1 at Home
The 18th round of the 2025-2026 La Liga season continued on January 4, 2026, with Real Madrid facing Real Betis at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, ultimately winning 5-1. Young forward Gonzalo García became the star of the match with a hat-trick. With Kylian Mbappé absent, several academy players contributed goals, showcasing the team’s offensive depth.
Real Madrid Takes the Lead in the First Half
From the start of the match, Real Madrid dominated possession. In the 20th minute, Vinícius drew a foul on the left wing. Rodrygo took the free-kick, and Gonzalo García, arriving at the far post, headed the ball in to give Madrid a 1-0 lead. Madrid continued to apply pressure but failed to score again, ending the first half 1-0.
Flurry of Goals in the Second Half, Gonzalo Completes Hat-Trick
Just 5 minutes into the second half, in the 50th minute, Fede Valverde sent a long pass, and Gonzalo García chested the ball down before scoring with a right-footed volley, extending the lead to 2-0. In the 56th minute, Rodrygo’s corner found Raúl Asencio, who headed it in to make it 3-0.
In the 66th minute, Betis pulled one back. Aitor Ruibal played a through ball to Juan Cruz Hernández, who went one-on-one with Courtois, dribbled past the defense, and scored into an empty net, making it 1-3.
Real Madrid continued their attack. In the 82nd minute, Arda Güler provided an assist for Gonzalo García, who completed his personal hat-trick with a left-footed shot, 4-1. In stoppage time, at 90+3 minutes, Fede Valverde crossed for Fran García to score, sealing the 5-1 victory.
Team Performance and League Standings
In this match, Gonzalo García’s three goals were scored in different ways—with his head, right foot, and left foot. these were his first three goals for Real Madrid this season. With Mbappé absent, three academy players—Gonzalo García, Raúl Asencio, and Fran García—scored, demonstrating the team’s bench strength.
Real Betis performed poorly, suffering their first away defeat of the season after previously being unbeaten on the road. With this win, Real Madrid secured their fourth consecutive league victory, sitting in second place with 45 points, still 4 points behind leaders Barcelona. Betis is in sixth place.
