Madrid, 05 January (H.S.): Gonzalo García etched his name into Santiago Bernabéu lore Sunday with a virtuoso hat-trick—his inaugural LaLiga strikes for Real Madrid—propelling Xabi Alonso's charges to a resounding 5-1 demolition of Real Betis, trimming Barcelona's summit lead to four points amid the absent Kylian Mbappé's knee sprain.

The 21-year-old academy gem supplanted the sidelined superstar, unfurling a perfect treble encompassing header, volley, and flicked finish to orchestrate Madrid's third successive league triumph, assuaging sack murmurs dogging Alonso post a prior slump.

Decisive Second-Half Onslaught

Madrid seized primacy in the 20th minute via García's towering header from Rodrygo's sumptuous free-kick, though Betis menaced sporadically—Giovani Lo Celso and Rodrigo Riquelme rattling uprights—before halftime boos reflected hosts' profligacy despite Jude Bellingham and Aurélien Tchouaméni's midfield mastery.

The deluge commenced five minutes post-interval: García chested Federico Valverde's lofted pass before swiveling into a venomous volley; Raúl Asencio nodded Rodrygo's corner unmarked pre-hour mark, extinguishing contest—yielding a 3-0 bulge and xG supremacy of 2.91 versus Betis' 0.98 from 13 efforts.

Cucho Hernández breached Thibaut Courtois—evading Antonio Rüdiger post-rounding—to ignite faint revival, yet García's 82nd-minute cheeky backheel from Arda Güler's cross restored three-goal chasm, Fran García capping stoppage-time rout with Valverde's cross for his elder brother's first senior contribution sans youth stints.

Alonso's Reprieve and Youth Resurgence

The verdict—Madrid's seventh unbeaten Bernabéu clash with Betis (W3 D4)—eclipses Manuel Pellegrini's visitor hoodoo, vaulting hosts above Villarreal while Betis stagnate sixth, midfielder Marc Roca lamenting a tough... one to forget.

García savored three very special goals... my first hat-trick here, humbly noting luminaries ahead: Mbappé, Rodrygo, Bellingham, Vinícius Júnior—yet affirmed daily toil yields dividends, mirroring Asencio and Fran García's academy provenance in a tapestry evoking Ruud van Nistelrooy's 2006 feat.

Madrid pivot to Thursday's Spanish Super Cup semifinal versus Atlético Madrid in Riyadh, their momentum untrammeled.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar