Gonzalo Garcia scored a brilliant hat-trick – his first La Liga goals – to help Real Madrid thrash Real Betis at the Bernabeu stadium.
The 21-year-old forward, playing in the absence of the injured Kylian Mbappe, opened the scoring with a header after 20 minutes, and doubled the lead with a superb volley early in the second half.
Raul Asencio headed in from a corner to make it 3-0, but Betis pulled a goal back when Cucho Hernandez rounded Madrid keeper Thibaut Courtois.
But after Betis had hit the woodwork and caused worries for the hosts, Garcia capped his successful afternoon with a sublime backheel from close range.
Fran Garcia added Madrid’s fifth in stoppage time for a win that reduced the gap between second-placed Madrid and leaders Barcelona to four points while Betis stay in sixth place.
Madrid will not play in next weekend’s round of La Liga matches because of their Super Cup semi-final against Atletico Madrid on Thursday, 8 January.
Mbappe sat out the home side’s first game of 2026 with a twisted knee, but Gonzalo’s display meant that Xabi Alonso’s side did not miss the prolific French striker too much.
Gonzalo made his mark at the Fifa Club World Cup last year with four goals that made him the tournament’s joint top-scorer.
But Mbappe’s form, which has seen him score 29 times in all competitions this season, together with Madrid’s other experienced attackers had limited Gonzalo to one start in La Liga prior to the visit of Betis.
“In front of me I obviously have the best players in the world, like Mbappe, Rodrygo, (Jude) Bellingham and Vinicius,” said Gonzalo.
“I just focus on myself, which means working day by day and taking the opportunities the coach gives me, like today, and I hope I can deliver and help my teammates every minute I get.”
Slack defending by Betis allowed Gonzalo to head in from the back post back across keeper Alvaro Valles for his first goal in La Liga.
But his second, displaying fine control with his chest before volleying beyond Valles into the bottom corner, settled the nerves of the home fans after Madrid had looked sluggish before half-time.
Asencio was also left unmarked at a set-piece to head in for his first senior goal as the home side threatened to embarrass Betis, managed by former Madrid boss Manuel Pellegrini.
But Betis dug deep and after Lo Selso’s free-kick hit a post, Hernandez steadied himself for a cool finish from a tight angle after going around Courtois.
Riquelme was unlucky to see his curling shot rebound off a post, but with Madrid’s fans becoming restless Gonzalo Garcia settled the result with a sublime flick from Arda Guler’s low cross from the left.
Substitute Fran Garcia, who had replaced Gonzalo late on, converted Federico Valverde’s cross from close range deep into stoppage time.
