From front-page news to powerful moments you may have missed, this gallery showcases today’s top photos chosen by Associated Press photo editors.
Los Angeles Lakers center Jaxson Hayes, left, San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson, second from left, forward Victor Wembanyama, second from right, and forward Dalton Knecht wait for a rebound during the second half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Manchester City's Josko Gvardiol, foreground, and Dortmund's Karim Adeyemi challenge for the ball during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund in Manchester, England, Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Ian Hodgson)
Bolivia's former President Jeanine Anez walks free from the Miraflores jail after the Supreme Court annulled her 10-year prison sentence in La Paz, Bolivia, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)
Children play flag football on a mini flag football field, set up in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025, during an event promoting the NFL ahead of the upcoming game between the Indianapolis Colts and the Atlanta Falcons. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in the village of Teir Debba, southern Lebanon, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Mohammad Zaatari)
Migrants walk in the water to board a small boat in an attempt to reach Britain, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025 in Gravelines, northern France. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias)
Volunteers help load vehicles during a food distribution at the San Antonio Food Bank for SNAP recipients and other households affected by the federal shutdown, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, from left, President Donald Trump, Heidi Overton, White House domestic policy council, David Moore, president of Novo Nordisk Inc., Novo Nordisk President and CEO Mike Doustdar and Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, look on after a person collapsed during an event about drug prices, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Prince Harry meets Villa Shah, 91, as he meets with some of Canada's oldest veterans, joining them in a creative arts program at Sunnybrook Hospital's veterans center in Toronto, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025. (Nathan Denette /The Canadian Press via AP)
A hippo calf, born in September, explores the large water basin for the first time in public together with its mother Nala at the Zoo in Berlin, Germany, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
A traveler using TSA Pre-Check waits in a security line at a San Francisco International Airport terminal in San Francisco, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
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Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, from left, President Donald Trump, Heidi Overton, White House domestic policy council, David Moore, president of Novo Nordisk Inc., Novo Nordisk President and CEO Mike Doustdar and Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, look on after a person collapsed during an event about drug prices, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Los Angeles Lakers center Jaxson Hayes, left, San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson, second from left, forward Victor Wembanyama, second from right, and forward Dalton Knecht wait for a rebound during the second half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Manchester City's Josko Gvardiol, foreground, and Dortmund's Karim Adeyemi challenge for the ball during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund in Manchester, England, Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Ian Hodgson)
Bolivia's former President Jeanine Anez walks free from the Miraflores jail after the Supreme Court annulled her 10-year prison sentence in La Paz, Bolivia, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)
Children play flag football on a mini flag football field, set up in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025, during an event promoting the NFL ahead of the upcoming game between the Indianapolis Colts and the Atlanta Falcons. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in the village of Teir Debba, southern Lebanon, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Mohammad Zaatari)
Migrants walk in the water to board a small boat in an attempt to reach Britain, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025 in Gravelines, northern France. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias)
Volunteers help load vehicles during a food distribution at the San Antonio Food Bank for SNAP recipients and other households affected by the federal shutdown, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, from left, President Donald Trump, Heidi Overton, White House domestic policy council, David Moore, president of Novo Nordisk Inc., Novo Nordisk President and CEO Mike Doustdar and Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, look on after a person collapsed during an event about drug prices, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Prince Harry meets Villa Shah, 91, as he meets with some of Canada's oldest veterans, joining them in a creative arts program at Sunnybrook Hospital's veterans center in Toronto, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025. (Nathan Denette /The Canadian Press via AP)
A hippo calf, born in September, explores the large water basin for the first time in public together with its mother Nala at the Zoo in Berlin, Germany, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
A traveler using TSA Pre-Check waits in a security line at a San Francisco International Airport terminal in San Francisco, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Ferran Torres scored a hat trick, Lamine Yamal converted a penalty and Roony Bardghji shone in a rare start as Barcelona roared back to win at Real Betis 5-3 in La Liga on Saturday.
Barcelona’s rout of fifth-placed Betis in Seville increased its lead to four points over Real Madrid before it hosts Celta Vigo on Sunday.
Torres has grown from a bench player to become Hansi Flick’s most used striker. The Spain forward has more starts than Robert Lewandowski, who at 37 is seeing his playing time reduced.
Torres leads Barcelona in scoring with 13 goals across all competitions. He has 11 in La Liga through 15 rounds, surpassing his 10 in the league all of last season. Only Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé with 16 has more in this campaign.
“I already knew that I could be a starter here in Barcelona and fight for this spot,” Torres said. “Now we have to go for more. The most important thing was our ability to respond to their early goal.”
It was a fourth career hat trick for Torres, who also bagged three goals at Betis in a 4-2 win last year.
Bardghji impressed in his third start since the 20-year-old Sweden winger joined Barcelona from Copenhagen in the summer. His dribbling was electric, and he provided a cross for Torres to score the go-ahead goal before he made it 3-1 with a powerful strike from just inside the area.
Lewandowski and Raphinha never left the bench for Barcelona. That leaves them rested for when Eintracht Frankfurt arrive on Tuesday in the Champions League.
The game featured a tactical novelty for Barcelona: Yamal spent most of the match playing in an interior, creative midfield role rather than on the right wing.
Yamal remained in sync with his teammates, participating in the passing move that led to Torres’ first goal. He converted the penalty in the 59th for Barcelona's fifth after a shot by Marcus Rashford hit the raised arm of Marc Bartra.
Flick said he asked Yamal if he was ready to play at the “10 spot” and Yamal agreed. Above all, his coach praised Yamal’s work in defense.
“He played a fantastic game and it gives us one or two more options,” Flick said.
Betis eased the pain with late goals by Diego Llorente and Cucho Hernández's penalty after Koundé fouled Abde in the box.
Manuel Pellegrini’s Betis was flying high coming into the game having beaten fierce city rival Sevilla in the previous round and was unbeaten in eight games overall. Betis will be overtaken by Espanyol on Sunday if it gets a draw with Rayo Vallecano.
Fermín López returned as a second-half substitute after the Barcelona midfielder missed two games with a leg injury.
Tajon Buchanan and Georges Mikautadze scored to help Villarreal beat Getafe 2-0 and stay in third place, one point behind Madrid.
Athletic Bilbao beat fourth-placed Atletico Madrid 1-0 before the Basque club faces Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Alex Berenguer scored from a pass by Nico Williams with five minutes remaining.
Alaves upset Real Sociedad 1-0 in a regional derby.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Barcelona's Ferran Torres celebrates after scoring his side second goal during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Betis and Barcelona in Seville, Spain, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. (AP Phot/Manu Reino)
Betis' Antony celebrates after scoring the opening goal of the game during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Betis and Barcelona in Seville, Spain, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. (AP Phot/Manu Reino)
Barcelona's Ferran Torres celebrates after scoring his side second goal during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Betis and Barcelona in Seville, Spain, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. (AP Phot/Manu Reino)
Barcelona's Roony Bardghji celebrates after scoring his sides third goal during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Betis and Barcelona in Seville, Spain, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. (AP Phot/Manu Reino)
Barcelona's Lamine Yamal celebrates after scoring his sides 5th goal from the penalty spot during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Betis and Barcelona in Seville, Spain, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. (AP Phot/Manu Reino)
Barcelona's Ferran Torres celebrates after scoring his side 4th goal and his third goal of the game during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Betis and Barcelona in Seville, Spain, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. (AP Phot/Manu Reino)