Barcelona 3 - Betis 0

Barcelona: Víctor Valdés; Zambrotta (Márquez 75'), Thuram, Puyol, Abidal; Xavi (Gudjohnsen 83'), Touré Yayá, Iniesta; Messi, Henry (Bojan 79'), Ronaldinho. 4-3-3.
Betis: Ricardo; Ilic, Juanito, Lima, Babic; Juande, Somoza (Arzu 75'); Rivera, Edu, Mark González; Pavone (José Marí 61'). 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Barça: Zambrotta, Thuram, Abidal, Henry for Márquez, Milito, Sylvinho, Bojan / Betis: Ilic, Juanito, Babic, Somoza, Rivera, Pavone for Damià, Melli, Fernando Vega, Capi, Xisco, Sobis.

Goals:
1-0. 32. Henry. Ran on to Iniesta through ball and poked shot under Ricardo.
2-0. 52. Ronaldinho. Curled free kick over wall and into top corner of net.
3-0. 92. Ronaldinho. Free kick which deflected off defender and in off post.

Barcelona comfortably beat struggling Betis 3-0 on Sunday night to move up to within one point of leaders Real Madrid. Henry had one of his best games in a Blaugrana shirt, having an early header saved and hitting the post before opening the scoring after Iniesta set him up on the half hour mark.

But Ronaldinho was not to be left behind after recent criticisms about his current for, and a few minutes in to the second half he curled a free kick over the defensive wall to make it two. Edu had shot into the side netting a few minutes earlier and Pavone tested Valdés for the first time a few minutes later, but Barça could have gone further ahead with a volley from Xavi which Ricardo saved, Henry heading the re bound over the top.

The pressure continued, with Messi producing an electrifying run only to see his shot shave the far post, and Ronaldinho fired an acrobatic shot over the top. The Brazilian star had to leave the field briefly after falling badly, but he returned to score his side's third with another well taken free kick, this time low in off the near post. The result leaves Betis down in the relegation spots, and Héctor Cúper is already under pressure to turn things around or move on.