Barcelona Defensive Collapse Against Sevilla

In one of the most remarkable outcomes of the season in the LaLiga, Sevilla, a merciless 4-1 win over Barcelona occurred at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan. The champions in power appeared unidentifiable since they could not match the intensity and tactical discipline of Sevilla and this left their fans and manager Xavi in great concern about the title race.

The tone was set early. The direct running of Isaac Romero led to chaos and eventually earned the foul which VAR confirmed to be a penalty by Joao Cancelo. Formerly-adored Barcelona fans Ivan Rakitic sent the spot-kick to start the goal. Soon, Romero charged once again on a lapse of defence to strike a second goal in doubling the score of Sevilla, and the visitors were shaken.

A short lived revival of hope was created by Barcelona through the Fermin Lopez whose smart finish just before halftime reduced the deficit to 2-1. But any ideas of doing it again were instantly dispersed as Sevilla went on the offensive in the final phases. The strike by Kike Salas made the game unreachable and the stoppage time goal by Youssef En-Nesyri served to send a final touch of a final note to a night that the home fans would not easily forget.

To Barcelona, this loss goes beyond three points lost but it is a structural problem. Their counter and defense is not united, their midfield was poor when they were pressed by Sevilla, and their attack did not capture crucial opportunities. The difference between Real Madrid and Girona is now growing, and it is high time Xavi finds quick solutions.

Sevilla fans, on the contrary, are able to dream once again. This was not a win but a performance that was all intensity, organization and faith. This outcome might trigger their recovery on the way to European qualification, after a scuffle of a campaign. The message was simple Seville can win anybody on their day including the champions of the day.