Barcelona overturn Sevilla scare to maintain La Liga lead

Barcelona recovered from a difficult first half to beat Sevilla 3-1 on Saturday and remain top of La Liga.

The Catalan side were unsettled by Sevilla’s high press early on, but changed their approach after the interval to take control of the match. Barcelona’s victory moved them to 21 points after seven games, while Sevilla remained sixth on 13 points.

Sevilla disrupt Barcelona’s rhythm

Sevilla made the stronger start at home, pressing with discipline and forcing Barcelona away from their usual method of building play from the back. The visitors were often reduced to longer passes as they struggled to progress the ball through midfield.

The hosts also defended effectively when they dropped deeper, closing the spaces Barcelona would normally use to create chances.

Sevilla took the lead in the 19th minute through Fofana, who found room behind the Barcelona defence. Raphinha equalised two minutes later, in the 21st minute, with a move that showed the value of playing more directly into the space behind the home side’s defensive line.

Barcelona were also guilty of rushing their attacks. On several occasions, they attempted to launch forward before enough players had joined the move, leaving them without a settled defensive structure when possession was lost.

Pedri was below his best in the opening half, while Gordon struggled to make the expected impact. Lamine Yamal was Barcelona’s main threat, however, and went close with a shot that might have changed the course of the game.

Barcelona take charge after the break

Barcelona returned from half-time with a different approach. They handled Sevilla’s individual pressure more effectively, pushed the hosts backwards and assumed greater control of possession.

Their attacking movements became quicker and more vertical, with forwards and midfielders repeatedly running beyond the Sevilla defence and moving to create passing lanes. That allowed Barcelona to find several ways through the pressure and gradually reduce the home side’s threat.

Rodri played an important part in the turnaround, providing greater defensive balance and frequently dropping alongside the centre-backs to help Barcelona build attacks and disrupt Sevilla’s attempts to press. His positioning also opened passing options for his team-mates and helped maintain the flow of Barcelona’s moves.

Raphinha continued to influence the game after the interval, showing he could operate effectively as a central striker, while Yamal remained a constant danger.

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick said after the match that Raphinha’s performance in the role had not surprised him, pointing to the Brazilian’s movement and ability to attack spaces as key advantages.

Flick acknowledges Barcelona errors

Despite the win, Flick admitted the match had been difficult and said Barcelona had given the ball away too easily. He explained that he had asked his midfielders to keep more possession at half-time because the team’s passing accuracy had not been good enough and it had lost the ball “silly”.

Sevilla failed to create clear chances in the second half as Barcelona became more disciplined defensively. The hosts’ attacking substitutions did not provide enough to change the game, and Barcelona managed the closing stages to protect their lead and prevent a comeback.