42 game unbeaten run comes to an end

End of the unbeaten run for FC Barcelona at Camp Nou in La Liga. 792 days after their last defeat in La Liga, the blaugranes have gone down to a 4-3 reverse at home to Betis. The sequence contained 34 victories and eight draws dating back to the season 2016/17. Barça had not lost at home since week 3 two seasons ago when they went down 2-1 against Alavés. In that time also Barça had lost just once more, against Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup in 2017.

The unbeaten run began with Luis Enrique as coach and the Asturian guided the team to 14 wins and three draws in the league before the arrival of Ernesto Valverde. Since then the man known as ‘Txingurri’ has led the side in no less than 50 games in La Liga with 35 wins, 12 draws and just three defeats.

Messi back after 22 days

The Argentine returned to the side for the first time against Betis since fracturing his arm on 20 October at Camp Nou against Sevilla. Messi was in the starting XI and played all 90 minutes on Sunday and curiously, it was the first time he had ever scored two goals for the blaugranes and ended up on the losing side.