What a night at the Santiago Bernabeu! On Sunday, a hungry Real Madrid side hosted Real Betis and came away with a dazzling 5-1 victory, thanks to a sensational hat-trick from 21-year-old academy product Gonzalo Garcia. ✨⚽
Stepping in for the injured Kylian Mbappe, Garcia wasted no time making his mark. He opened the scoring in the 20th minute with a clinical finish, then returned after halftime to blast home his second—setting the tone for a commanding lead.
Raul Asencio piled on the pressure soon after, only for Cucho Hernandez to pull one back for Manuel Pellegrini's visitors. But Garcia sealed his first-ever Bernabeu hat-trick in the 82nd minute with a clever flick, sending the home crowd into a frenzy. Fran Garcia wrapped up the scoring with a late fifth to complete the rout.
With this result, second-placed Real Madrid trimmed Barcelona's advantage in the LaLiga table to just four points, after the champions edged Espanyol 2-0 in Saturday's Catalan derby. The win also relieves some of the heat on coach Xabi Alonso—who has faced calls for his head after a rocky run of form.
Speaking after the match, a beaming Gonzalo Garcia admitted, "These were three very special goals, my first hat-trick here at the Bernabeu, my first goals this season as well. In front of me I obviously have the best players in the world, like Mbappe, Rodrygo, Bellingham, Vinicius. I just focus on myself—working day by day and taking the opportunities the coach gives me."
For young fans dreaming of breaking through at a giant like Real, Garcia's performance is pure 🔥. Will he keep proving he belongs among the stars? Stay tuned—LaLiga action is only getting hotter this season!
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Gonzalo Garcia's hat-trick helps Real Madrid romp past Real Betis 5-1
cgtn.com
