Barcelona faced Sevilla at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on Matchday 8 of La Liga. The match lived up to its promise as one of the most anticipated of the weekend.
Twenty previous tries have resulted in a loss for Sevilla when they played Barcelona on the road, with the teams splitting three draws and seventeen defeats. It goes without saying that they wanted to break the night’s ridiculous record.
Against the Andalusian squad, Xavi Hernandez started four strikers in an attempt to throw them off. Only Ilkay Gundogan and Gavi manned the midfield, although Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski, Joao Felix, and Lamine Yamal all got the nod.
Marc-Andre ter Stegen in goal and defenders Joao Cancelo, Jules Kounde, Andreas Christensen, and Alejandro Balde rounded out the starting XI.
At Montjuic, Barcelona started the game strong by confidently attacking and maintaining possession. The first ten minutes of the game did not provide many scoring opportunities, but they seemed to set the tone for a Barcelona rout.
In the 12th minute, Felix, all of 23 years old, found himself in a position to take advantage of the evening’s first great opportunity. He looked for the turn but rjan Nyland thwarted him. The kid still missed the mark five minutes later.
In fact, Felix was once again presented with the halftime’s best opportunity. Cancelo made a brilliant run and pass to set up the attacking superstar with room to shoot.
Unfortunately, his well-placed shot smacked the post right at the goal line and rolled out on the wrong side.
Catalans kept getting chances, especially on the break when Sevilla was outnumbered. None of the counterattacks launched by Lewandowski, Raphinha, or Yamal were successful.
After 35 minutes of play, things took an unexpected turn. Raphinha tried an acrobatic shot after receiving a pass over the top from Lewandowski. He eventually had to stop since he had pulled his hamstring.
Barcelona’s customary 4-3-3 formation was reinstated when Fermin Lopez replaced the injured Brazilian. The kid came close to scoring with some slick play a minute later.
Halftime quickly blew, and it was clear that neither team had taken control of the game. Barcelona played well enough to warrant taking the lead, but a draw was a fair result given the team’s inability to capitalize on several scoring opportunities.
After the interval, Barcelona kept up their pressure on Sevilla and the game restarted. Once again, Felix had an opportunity, but he blew it.
Barcelona seemed closer and closer to scoring as the hour mark drew near. Sevilla’s defense did a good job of blocking Lewandowski’s shot, and Kounde’s header was not too far off the mark.
The Catalans’ failure to score despite several opportunities seemed shocking at one point. However, Sevilla kept looking for more and more help to save the day.
In the 70th minute, Ferran Torres replaced Felix.
It was an unfortunate own goal by Sergio Ramos that gave the Blaugranas the lead in the 75th minute. However, a spectacular cross directed centrally by Yamal was solely responsible for creating the opportunity. The defender picked up the loose ball and promptly put it in the back of the net.
Oriol Romeu came on for Yamal in the 80th minute.
In the 85th minute, Jesus Navas was practically open on goal for Jose Luis Mendilibar’s team, and they came dangerously close to scoring an equalizer. Kounde made a fantastic tackle to prevent a goal by Sevilla.
Barcelona regains the temporary lead in La Liga with this victory. Tomorrow night, Girona and Real Madrid will meet at Estadi Montilivi in downtown Catalonia, and the rankings will undoubtedly be affected by the outcome of this match.
