Barcelona match Real Madrid's nine-win La Liga start
A 5-2 win at Real Betis extended Barcelona's perfect start to 11 matches across all competitions and left them five points clear in La Liga.
Barcelona have matched a La Liga record with a 5-2 away win over Real Betis, becoming the second club to win their first nine league games of a season. Real Madrid had been the only team to achieve that start, doing so in 1968-69.
The victory maintained Hansi Flick's unbeaten opening to the campaign, with 11 wins from 11 games across all competitions. Barcelona lead the La Liga standings by five points.
Betis drew level at 1-1 and later narrowed the deficit to 3-2 by the 53rd minute, before Barcelona pulled away over the closing half-hour. Despite scoring five goals, Barcelona did not surpass Sevilla's record of 42 goals over the first nine league matches, set in 1940-41.
Barcelona next visit Paris Saint-Germain at Parc des Princes for a Champions League match on Tuesday night. They then welcome Real Madrid to Camp Nou on October 25, followed by a free midweek before facing Alaves on October 31.
