Sevilla delivered a stunning 4–1 victory over Barcelona on Sunday, ending the reigning champions’ unbeaten start to the La Liga season and denying them the chance to reclaim top spot.
The win, Sevilla’s first league triumph over Barcelona since 2015, temporarily lifted them to fourth place with 13 points from eight matches, while Barcelona remained second on 19 points, two behind leaders Real Madrid.
“It’s one of the happiest days of my life. We deserved to win from start to finish,” said José Ángel Carmona, who netted Sevilla’s third goal.
Barcelona began sluggishly, failing to register a shot on target in the opening half hour, while Sevilla pressed high and frequently sought to release Alexis Sánchez with long passes.
The hosts broke the deadlock in the 13th minute when Isaac Romero was brought down by Ronald Araújo inside the box. After a VAR review, the referee pointed to the spot, and Sánchez calmly sent his former Arsenal teammate Wojciech Szczęsny the wrong way to make it 1–0.
Szczęsny prevented further damage in the 27th minute, denying Romero from close range. But the Polish goalkeeper was beaten ten minutes later, when Rubén Vargas sprinted beyond Barcelona’s high defensive line and squared for Romero, who fired home a first-time finish to double Sevilla’s advantage.
Marcus Rashford pulled one back for Barcelona in first-half stoppage time, latching onto Pedri’s lofted pass and smashing a left-footed volley into the roof of the net from a tight angle.
Lewandowski Misses Crucial Penalty
Barcelona pushed hard after the interval and were handed a golden opportunity to equalize in the 76th minute when Alejandro Balde was fouled in the area by Adnan Januzaj. However, Robert Lewandowski squandered the chance, dragging his penalty wide of the post.
Their hopes of a comeback were dashed in the 90th minute when Carmona drilled a low shot through a defender’s legs to make it 3–1. Substitute Akor Adams then capped off Sevilla’s dominant display, tapping in Chidera Ejuke’s cross in stoppage time to seal the 4–1 rout.
“We lacked intensity, we couldn’t get out of our half, and we didn’t know what to do with the ball,” admitted Barcelona midfielder Pedri. “We were never at our best. We need to improve a lot so we can start winning again after the break.”
The victory marked Sevilla’s second consecutive league win. They will resume their La Liga campaign after the international break against Mallorca on October 18, while Barcelona will host Girona on the same day.
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