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2 hours ago
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Brilliant at the start of the season, Barça wanted to continue this return from the international break. Leader of La Liga, the Catalan team could put Real Madrid within three points in the event of success. From a Blaugrana point of view, this match was especially marked by the return of Gavi, a year after his serious knee injury, even if he was logically not a starter. For its part, Sevilla began to regain color before the break, with seven points taken out of nine possible, after a very complicated first day of the championship. For this match, Hansi Flick notably lined up Lamine Yamal, Lewandowski and Raphinha, in addition to Ansu Fati, last minute starter following Eric Garcia’s injury during the warm-up. Dani Olmo, the other returner, started on the bench. Opposite, Seville could notably rely on the Frenchman Loïc Badé to counter all these beautiful people.
Unimpressed, the Andalusians got off to an interesting start to the match, with a first opportunity from Lukebakio, who attempted a nice curl that missed the target (8th). On the Catalan side, it was especially Lamine Yamal who was active at the start of the game. Little by little, Barça took control but the Sevillians held on well, intelligent in their pressing and very disciplined. But destiny would soon smile on Barça, as Peke unbalanced Raphinha in the area. The referee did not tremble, and it was Robert Lewandowski who was responsible for converting the penalty, wrong-footing Nyland (1-0, 24th). Then, on a quick, well-executed transition, Lamine Yamal, on the right side, passed for Pedri who, from outside the area, fired a superb shot which lodged under the bar of the Sevillian goalkeeper (2-0, 29th). In the space of five minutes, Barça had done the hard part. Lewandowski was even close to third after a caviar from Lamine Yamal but he came up against Nyland, who came out well (35th).
Barça without adversity
The Blaugranas and the Pole, however, were not going to wait long to celebrate a new goal, since on a strike from Raphinha, Lewandowski, on the trajectory, opened his foot and touched the leather sufficiently to change the trajectory and send the ball at the bottom (3-0, 39th). His twelfth goal of the season in La Liga, already. Not satisfied, the Catalans continued to attack against a Sevilla team which had given up. Lamine Yamal saw his shot graze the left post before going out (45th+1). A big demonstration of strength in this first period for Hansi Flick’s men. Returning from the locker room, they continued to dominate, and Nyland produced a superb save on a strike from outside by Lamine Yamal to avoid Barcelona’s fourth goal (46th).
The chances kept coming and on a shot from outside, Raphinha narrowly missed the target (50th). Despite numerous changes made by Garcia Pimienta at the break, this Sevilla team was harmless and helpless. Iñaki Peña, preferred to new arrival Wojciech Szczęsny in the Barça cages, had a particularly peaceful evening. Little by little, the pace dropped and Flick took the opportunity to spin a little, and Lewandowski and Raphinha left the pitch in the 65th minute. Ansu Fati, rather discreet this evening, did not benefit from this caviar from Pedri (71st). The latter was on fire and offered another love of the ball to Lamine Yamal, who crossed his shot too much (75th). Koundé, for his 100th match with Barça, served Pablo Torre who signed the fourth, with a shot deflected by a defender and who deceived Nyland (4-0, 81st). It was in the 83rd minute that Gavi made his return, replacing his sidekick Pedri, to a big ovation from Montjuic. Idumbo still managed to score the goal of honor at the very end of the game (88th), but in the process, Pablo Torre scored the fifth Catalan goal with a poorly judged free kick by Nyland (5-1, 89th) . A fine 5-1 before this clash against Bayern in the middle of the week, then the Clasico next weekend…
