Real Madrid needed a spark. Gonzalo García lit the match.

The 21-year-old forward, a product of Madrid’s youth system who debuted for the first team in November 2023, started in place of the injured Kylian Mbappé and delivered a hat-trick in a 5-1 win over Real Betis at the Santiago Bernabéu. It was the kind of night that changes careers and shapes seasons. With Barcelona beating Espanyol 2-0, Madrid’s victory trimmed the La Liga gap to four points and sent a clear message: they are still right there.

As one post-match report put it: “Gonzalo García scored his first, second and third goals in La Liga for Real Madrid on Sunday with his hat trick dominating a 5-1 rout of Real Betis.” The stage, the stakes, the style — it all felt like a young striker stepping into the spotlight and refusing to leave.

Hat-trick night at the Bernabéu

García’s first arrived on 20 minutes, a brave header after darting onto Rodrygo’s teasing free kick. He showed instinct, timing and courage to attack the ball. That early breakthrough eased nerves and turned control into dominance.

Ten minutes into the second half, he struck again. A smart chest control set up a crisp volley on 50 minutes, the kind of composed finish that makes a young forward look like he’s been doing this for years. By then, Madrid were flowing.

He completed the hat-trick on 82 minutes with a flash of invention: a deft heel flick from an Arda Güler pass. It was cheeky, quick and decisive — a striker’s touch that drew a roar from the home crowd.

“If García can do this without Mbappé, Madrid’s ceiling just got higher.”

Rodrygo’s delivery, Asencio’s header, Güler’s spark

While the night belonged to García, the supporting roles mattered. Rodrygo’s set-piece quality was a major theme. His free kick created the opener; his corner on 56 minutes found Raúl Asencio for a clean header and a 3-0 lead. Two deliveries, two goals, and the game was essentially gone from Betis.

Arda Güler added a different kind of threat. His late, sliding pass into the box invited invention, and García answered with the heel-flick finish for his third. It was a moment that showed Madrid have multiple ways to hurt teams, even without Mbappé’s pace.

There was more late gloss, too. In stoppage time, full-back Fran García crashed home on 90+3 to cap a loud night for the Bernabéu and complete the 5-1 scoreline.

“Rodrygo’s left foot might be the quiet MVP here — two set-pieces, two daggers.”

Scoreline, scorers, and the game’s turning points

• Gonzalo García 20′, 50′, 82′
• Raúl Asencio 56′
• Cucho Hernández (Betis) 66′
• Fran García 90′+3

At 3-0, Madrid were cruising. Betis found a reply when Cucho Hernández pulled one back on 66 minutes, but the visitors never built a sustained spell after that. Madrid’s control returned, and the hosts finished strong with two more goals to underline their authority.

Title race context: four points behind Barcelona

The table snap-shot matters. Barcelona lead La Liga with 49 points from 19 games. Real Madrid are second on 45 from 19, with a goal difference of +24. Villarreal are third on 38 points from 17 matches. That spread paints a two-team title picture for now, with Madrid hanging on Barcelona’s shoulder as the season turns.

Momentum counts in January. This win, and the manner of it, is the kind that builds belief in the dressing room and noise outside of it. Madrid didn’t just win; they gave minutes and confidence to a young striker who might be a factor for weeks to come.

“This felt like the night a canterano announced himself to the Bernabéu.”

The Mbappé subplot: a door opens

Kylian Mbappé’s left knee sprain forced a change. García, who came through Madrid’s youth teams and made his senior debut in November 2023, got the nod. He didn’t just fill in — he grabbed the moment with both hands.

For the coaching staff, that solves an immediate problem and creates a welcome dilemma. If García can press from the front, attack crosses, and finish chances like this, Madrid have depth that can survive injuries and fixture traffic. It also allows others — Rodrygo, Güler, and the full-backs — to lean into their strengths without forcing the game.

How the goals happened: bravery, control, invention

There was a clear pattern to Madrid’s threat. Set-pieces hurt Betis early and often. García’s header on a whipped dead ball punished a crack of space. Asencio’s header from a corner was about timing and position. Those repeatable moments matter in tight title races.

Open play offered a different lesson. García’s second — chest, set, volley — showed calm mechanics. His third was improvisation, using Güler’s pass and the defender’s momentum against them. Three finishes, three different problems posed, one statement night.

What went wrong for Betis

Betis had a spell after Cucho Hernández’s strike on 66 minutes, but it was brief. They struggled to deal with Madrid’s set-piece delivery, and once they fell behind, the spaces widened. The hosts’ edges in speed and touch were clear in transitions and in the box.

On another day, Betis might make more of their moments. On this day, Madrid were too clean in the big areas and too sharp on restarts.

What it means for Madrid

Madrid leave with three points, goals spread across the front line, and a young forward bursting with confidence. They also leave with clarity: they can lean on set-pieces, trust their academy talent, and manage without Mbappé while he heals.

The calendar will test them, but nights like this build a bank of belief. The gap to Barcelona is four points. That is close enough to keep pressure high and every weekend meaningful.

Bottom line

Gonzalo García took a chance and turned it into a headline. In a 5-1 win that cut the distance to the top, his hat-trick wasn’t just bright; it was timely. If Madrid keep finding goals in different ways and different places, the race at the top of La Liga will stay tight — and very loud — into spring.