Barcelona vs Sevilla Review
Barcelona maintained their impressive start to the La Liga season, achieving their ninth win in 10 league matches with a commanding 5-1 victory over Sevilla at the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium. With El Clásico approaching next week, Barça aimed to regain their three-point lead at the top of the La Liga table, and Hansi Flick’s team quickly made their mark.
Lamine Yamal, along with Ansu Fati, posed a significant threat to Sevilla’s defense. Fati had a great opportunity to score shortly after the 15-minute mark but missed the target after receiving a pass in the box. The home fans didn’t have to wait long for a goal, as Raphinha was fouled in the penalty area by Peque. Robert Lewandowski, in excellent scoring form, converted the penalty, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way and netting his 11th league goal of the season.
Just two minutes later, the score quickly changed from one to two after a fast team play. Yamal made a run into the box and delivered a reverse pass to the edge of the area, which Jules Koundé let go, allowing Pedri to score by firing the ball into the top of the net. Barça maintained their pressure on a struggling Sevilla team, scoring a third goal before halftime when a corner that was only partially cleared fell to Raphinha, whose shot from outside the box was deflected in by Lewandowski.
After the break, Barça continued to dominate, coming close to a fourth goal shortly after the restart, but Yamal’s incredible outside-of-the-foot shot from the edge of the box was brilliantly saved by Ørjan Nyland. The 17-year-old was clearly in form, delivering a fantastic through ball with the outside of his boot to set Raphinha up for a goal, only for the Brazilian to be ruled narrowly offside. With a three-goal lead, Flick took the chance to rest Lewandowski and Raphinha with 30 minutes left. However, the home side’s attacking threat persisted as Fati found himself unmarked in the box, but he failed to finish clinically.
Sevilla had difficulty creating offensive opportunities, as evidenced by their inability to register a shot on target until the 87th minute, when Stanis Idumbo scored a late consolation goal, following Pablo Torre’s fourth and fifth goals for Barcelona. This victory reinstates Barcelona’s three-point advantage as they prepare for a challenging week, with Bayern Munich visiting on Wednesday and a trip to Madrid for El Clásico. After a lackluster performance that ended their three-match unbeaten streak, Sevilla will need to significantly improve before their return to Barcelona to face Espanyol.
