During Sevilla vs Barcelona LaLiga clashEstadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán, Robert Lewandowski saw his penalty slip through his own feet as Sevilla FC roared to a 4‑1 triumph over FC Barcelona. The result dented the Catalans' bid to retake the LaLiga lead and snapped a decade‑long streak of dominance over the Andalusians.
Kick‑off came at 14:15 UTC under the watchful eye of referee Alejandro Muñíz Ruiz. Sevilla lined up in a fluid 4‑3‑3, with Odysseas Vlachodimos between the sticks and a back four of José Ángel Carmona, César Azpilicueta, Marcao and Gabriel Suazo. Their midfield trio – Batista Mendy, Lucien Agoume and Djibril Sow – fed an attack led by Alexis Sánchez, Isaac Romero and Ruben Vargas.
Barcelona, managed by Hansi Flick, opted for a 4‑2‑3‑1. Wojciech Szczesny guarded the goal while Jules Koundé, Ronald Araujo, Pau Cubarsi and Gerard Martin formed the back line. Pedri and Frenkie de Jong held the midfield, supporting an advanced block of Marcus Rashford, Dani Olmo and Ferran Torres, with Lewandowski up front.
The opening half was a chess match. Sevilla struck first, Lerma‑crossed ball finding Vargas who curled a low finish past Szczesny. Barcelona answered through a quick one‑two between Pedri and Rashford, but the equaliser was denied by a spectacular save from Vlachodimos.
The turning point arrived in the 57th minute. After a scrappy scramble in the box, the referee pointed to the spot. Lewandowski stepped up, his mind clearly elsewhere after a taxing Champions League night against PSG. He struck the ball hard, but it glanced the post and ricocheted back into play – a rare miss for a striker of his caliber. Sevilla pounced, with Sánchez slamming home the rebound to make it 3‑1.
Instead of a morale boost, the miss seemed to unhinge Barcelona's rhythm. A second Valencia‑style goal fell to Romero, who intercepted a loose pass and finished calmly. The final blow came when Vargas tucked away a cross‑field pass, sealing a 4‑1 result that left the Camp Nou faithful stunned.
Both sides entered the fixture with notable absences. Sevilla were missing Alfon González, Tanguy Nianzou and Joan Jordán – injuries that forced manager José Luis Mancisidor to rely on younger legs. Barcelona’s list was longer: Joan Garcia, Marc‑Andre ter Stegen, Fermin Lopez, Gavi, Lamine Yamal (groin), and Raphinha were all sidelined.
Flick had hoped a rotation would preserve energy after the blistering PSG loss, but the wear‑and‑tear was evident. Several players looked flat‑lined, especially the midfield duo of Pedri and de Jong, who struggled to impose themselves against Sevilla’s compact press.
Before Sunday, Barcelona had reclaimed the top spot after Real Madrid’s 5‑2 drubbing by Atlético Madrid and a victory over Real Sociedad. The defeat drops them to second place, three points behind the league leaders, with only six games left before the winter break.
Sevilla’s win also propels them into the top‑four conversation, moving them up to seventh with 15 points, just four behind fourth‑placed Athletic Bilbao. The result underscores how fragile a title challenge can be when injuries and confidence wobble in tandem.
With the October international window looming, both clubs will have a short respite to regroup. Barcelona will likely see key players such as Gavi and Yamal return to training, but the physical toll from the PSG encounter may linger.
Flick’s immediate task is to address tactical rigidity highlighted by the Sevilla game – chiefly the lack of a viable plan when the primary striker is denied. A re‑calibration of the attacking shape, perhaps re‑introducing a second striker or shifting to a 4‑3‑3, could restore balance.
Sevilla, meanwhile, will celebrate a historic win but must keep momentum. Their next match against Villarreal will test whether this upset was a one‑off or the start of a late‑season surge.
The defeat drops Barcelona to second place, three points behind the leaders with only six matches left before the winter break. They’ll need to win most of those games and hope the leaders slip up to stay in contention.
Reports from the stadium suggest the striker was fatigued after a taxing Champions League trip to Paris. He also appeared nervous, rushing his approach and striking the ball too hard, which resulted in the ball hitting the post.
Alexis Sánchez was the man of the match, scoring the decisive rebound after the missed penalty. Isaac Romero’s pace and Vargas’s clinical finish also turned the tide, each contributing a goal.
LaLiga returns on November 2, 2025, when Barcelona face Atlético Madrid at the Camp Nou. The team will have the international window to recover injured players and fine‑tune tactics.
The win lifts Sevilla into the Europa League qualification zone, putting them within striking distance of a Europa League spot. Consistency will be key if they aim for European football next season.
Written by Zimkita Khayone Mvunge
View all posts by: Zimkita Khayone Mvunge