Garcia hat-trick helps Real Madrid beat Betis 5-1 to cut gap on Barcelona

The forward doubles Real's lead early in the second half with a superb chest control

LaLiga - Real Madrid v Real Betis - Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain - Jan 4, 2026 Real Madrid's Gonzalo Garcia celebrates scoring their second goal REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura

Real Madrid forward Gonzalo Garcia bagged a hat-trick to lead his side to a 5-1 victory over Real Betis at the Bernabeu on Sunday, trimming the deficit to LaLiga leaders Barcelona to four points.

Xabi Alonso's side, who topped the table before a downturn in November, now have 45 points from 19 matches, second behind defending champions Barcelona, who beat Espanyol away on Saturday. Betis are sixth with 28 points.

Garcia, who lit up last year's FIFA Club World Cup with four goals, stepped up in the absence of LaLiga's top scorer Kylian Mbappe, sidelined by a knee injury. The 21-year-old was left unmarked at the far post to head in Rodrygo's precise cross for a deserved 20th-minute lead.

He doubled Real's lead early in the second half with a superb chest control and volley from Federico Valverde's long ball, before Raul Asencio added a header from another Rodrygo delivery. Betis forward Cucho Hernandez pulled one back in the 66th minute for the visitors.

Garcia completed his hat-trick with an 82nd-minute strike, and Fran Garcia rounded off the rout in added time to secure Madrid's third straight league win and keep the pressure firmly on their arch-rivals.