Barcelona frustrated as draw with Betis keeps title race alive

Barcelona spurned the chance to extend their lead at the top of the LaLiga standings when they were held at home 1-1 by Real Betis on Saturday, with visiting defender Natan cancelling out Gavi's early opener.

The draw moves Hansi Flick's Barça on to 67 points, four ahead of rivals Real Madrid who slumped to a 2-1 defeat at home by Valencia earlier on Saturday, while Betis climbed to fifth on 48 points.

The hosts had been given further motivation by Real's shocking loss and had a great start when Gavi opened the scoring from close range, brilliantly assisted by Ferran Torres seven minutes after kickoff.

However, Natan headed the equaliser from a corner in the 17th minute and though they dominated, Barca could not find a way past 38-year-old goalkeeper Adrián who made a string of saves later on to frustrate the hosts.

"One game less, one point more," Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said in a news conference. "That's a good thing. Of course the first half we made too many mistakes, but also we created chances. In the second half, it was much better. In the second half we try to get a better result.

"With our chances we create, we were not like normal, not so merciless. It happens. I think everyone now has both feet on the earth and it helps us. I am happy that we tried in the second half everything. I see it very positive."

Adrian's brilliant performance started even before Barca opened the scoring, when he palmed away Pedri's strike from inside the box, but there was nothing he could do to keep Gavi from scoring moments later.

Barça kept up the pressure after taking the lead but Betis equalised from a Giovanni lo Celso corner which Natan jumped higher than defender Ronald Araújo to meet and head into the back of the net.

Adrian came to the rescue again as he made a stunning one-handed save from a Lamine Yamal curling strike from inside the box in the 38th minute.

Coach Hansi Flick subbed on Raphinha in the second half and Barça came back even stronger, dominating more than 75% of possession but wasting too many chances.

The Brazilian forward was a constant menace and missed with a curling strike from the edge of the box, with Adrian making two great efforts to deny a Jules Koundé strike in the 55th minute and a Fermín López shot in the 85th.

"If we won we would be higher up the table, but in the end it's football," Gavi told Movistar Plus.

"We're bitter about the result, because we couldn't take advantage of the chances we had throughout the match, but we have to accept it and move on."