A highly contested match that we saw this afternoon at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán. Barcelona took the points from the Sevilla coliseum after a very serious game and a goal in each period. In the first half, after a quick counterattack that ended with Messi passing into space to Dembélé, who defined under Bono's legs. The local goalkeeper saw his league unbeaten record come to an end, stopping the clock at 557 minutes. Before the break, the locals claimed that Messi was sent off in an action with Koundé, but the referee acted with determination and only signaled a foul. In the second half, the game continued with a similar script despite Lopetegui trying to shake the tree with his changes. Until the final 0-2 of the Argentine, Barça had to regret the injuries of Piqué, Araújo and Pedri. Thus the things, the culés reengage to the fight by the title and the Seville takes a disappointment in their aspirations. On Wednesday, again the same duel in the second round of the Cup, this time at the Camp Nou.
End of the match in Seville. 0-2 victory for Barcelona in this second Saturday game in LaLiga.
Four minutes of overtime will be played.
Until today, Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman had directed three games against Sevilla in all competitions without winning any of them (1E 2D), two in LaLiga and another in Copa del Rey. It seems that today it will take the cat to the water.
Yellow card for Joan Jordán.
It should not be forgotten that both teams will meet again during the week in the semifinal round of the Copa del Rey, with an advantage in favor of the Andalusians after winning 2-0 in the first leg. Interestingly, the same result that has occurred today, but in reverse.
GOOOOL !! Seville 0-2 BARCELONA. Goal of Lionel Messi, who puts the sentence. Good move from Rosario, whose merit in the goal is very great. But you cannot ignore the spur and back pass that the youth squad Ilaix gave him. The Argentine's 19th goal in this league. More top scorer.
Barcelona will have to work hard in this final stretch. It is well known by all that Umtiti does not offer the guarantees in defense of Piqué or Araújo …
Ousmane Dembélé retires after a great game, giving up his place to the Danish Martin Braithwaite.
Ronald Araújo leaves touched. He is replaced by Samuel Umtiti.
Yellow card for Ousmane Dembélé.
There are ten more minutes of the discount for the end of the game and Sevilla does not finish finding the way that brings him closer to the goal. The referee, however, has just annulled a goal to the locals by En-Nesyri.
The Barcelona player, Lionel Messi, has scored 29 goals against Sevilla in LaLiga, more than against any other rival, although the Argentine has not scored in his last two games against them in the competition and has never scored three without a goal against the Sevillians. Today he has not scored yet, but he has left a delicious assist for his teammate Ousmane Dembélé. Although, according to some, he should have been sent off in the first half.
The Sevilla player, Youssef En-Nesyri, is one of the three players who have reached 10 home goals in LaLiga 2020/21 (10) along with Lionel Messi (12), from Barcelona and Luis Suárez, from Atlético de Madrid (10). It is his highest number of goals at home in a single campaign in the competition. Today he took to the field in the second half to reverse the situation generated for his team in the first half …
As we said, Pedri González leaves for Ilaix Moriba to enter.
Now it is Pedri who is hurting after fighting for a ball against two rivals. To prevent his injury from getting worse, Koeman will also remove him from the grass.
After returning in the unfortunate memory match against PSG, Gerard Piqué has played it all after almost three months in dry dock. Therefore, Koeman withdraws him and gives entry to Araújo, another who returns today after injury.
Gerard Piqué leaves and leaves his position to Ronald Araújo.
Practically half an hour of play ahead and Julen Lopetegui has already made his five changes. Without a doubt, a brave and determined decision. Let's see if it works out.
Ivan Rakitić leaves his post to Óscar Rodríguez.
Luuk de Jong leaves and Óliver Torres enters.
ONE MORE!! Tremendous slalom by Ousmane Dembélé after driving the race. The Frenchman yielded to Messi, who did not know how to place the ball in the rival goal. The culés feel comfortable in this context.
TO THE STICK !! Good braided play by Barcelona that ended with Pedri's opening on the left side and Jordi Alba's rear center that Sergiño Dest, the other side, picked up to shoot the frame post that Bono defends. It could be the second.
Barcelona have won their last six away games in LaLiga. In case of victory today, he will equal his fourth best streak in history as a visitor by chaining seven consecutive wins as in April 2012. Both dynamics only surpassed by 12 in January 2011, ten in January 2013 and nine in February 2009.
Sevilla has gone to press higher on their rival in this second act aware that it can hurt them with the changes introduced, in addition to the need to take the initiative due to the 0-1 that looks on the electronic.
THE BARÇA HAD IT !! Good backlash from the visitors, who were close to achieving the second. Frenkie de Jong's low and tense pass to the heart of the area could not be connected by Jordi Alba. In recent games, the full-back appears a lot in finishing positions.
Triple change of Julen Lopetegui who seeks more speed up with En-Nesyri, cut the turnovers that Papu had in the first half and protect the defense, since Diego Carlos had a card. Although Rekik, her replacement, has seen her shortly after the clash resumed …
Yellow card for Karim Rekik as soon as he came out on the pitch.
The second half begins at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán that we analyze below. Lopetegui has not thought about it when moving the bench to change the face of his team.
Diego Carlos leaves his post Rekik.
Suso enters through Papu Gómez.
Munir leaves and En-Nesyri enters.
The first part ends with Sevilla's complaints to the referee, who claim a second yellow card for Messi in an action with Koundé a few seconds after seeing the first.
Yellow card for Sergio Escudero.
Barcelona have won in their last two visits to Andalusian teams in LaLiga, against Granada and Real Betis, and have not linked three or more in a row since November 2016 (four).
Yellow card for Lionel Messi for touching Fernando Reges' ankle in a ball dispute.
Barcelona are having a lot of the ball in this game, also after getting ahead on the scoreboard. The azulgrana team is, historically, a rival that feels comfortable with the leading role, and today it is no exception. Sevilla suffers, which is already asking for rest to come.
Yellow card for Diego Carlos after a foul on Leo Messi.
Barcelona has chosen to minimize risks with this system of three centrals, especially in counterattacks, and has achieved it until the goal. Now it is expected that Sevilla will demand more frequently in defensive tasks, although the Catalans will also have more options on the counterattack.
After conceding a goal in the 29th minute, Bono has accumulated 557 minutes without conceding a goal in LaLiga. There for the clock the sevillista goal, leaving the historical record of the entity in league competition.
Yellow card for Fernando Reges.
GOOOL !! Sevila 0-1 BARCELONA. Goal by Ousmane Dembélé in a very fast counterattack that originated in a failure of Lenglet in a control and another later of a rival. Barcelona's counterattack was armed in a few seconds: Messi threw a pass into space for the Frenchman, who he masterfully defined before Bono's departure.
Assists Lionel Andrés Messi Cuccittini
We see Leo Messi very active in these first minutes. He begins to have duels with Diego Carlos that are reminiscent of those they had in this same game last season. On the other hand, Gerard Piqué, who seemed to be suffering from some discomfort, is already re-established.
At home, Sevilla have only won one of their last 13 games against Barcelona in LaLiga (5E 7D), 2-1 in October 2015 although they have drawn two of the last three (1D).
FIRST SHOT !! Good counterattack from Barcelona in a good exit of the ball in the race by Frenkie de Jong that Ousmane Dembélé finished with an easy shot for Bono. It will take a lot more to beat the goalkeeper of the moment in European football.
Busquets and Rakitic, who for a two-year period formed a reliable pair in the Barça midfielder in the Valverde stage, will live today a beautiful duel for each ball in that same area of the field. The signing of the Croatian has been the most profitable for Barcelona in a time of many excesses. The same can be said of his return to Andalusia. Few players are capable of accumulating so many matches in First with two different entities …
Two players with a Barça past like Munir and Rakitic meet today in the starting eleven of the premises, plus Aleix Vidal waiting his turn on the bench. Both institutions have a fluid relationship that, moreover, is always endorsed in the repo market. In the visitors we see Lenglet, whose first club in LaLiga was Seville. What has been said: some go and others come.
For now, the game is played in the half of the field that Sevilla defends, with Barcelona playing and playing to open the defensive framework that Lopetegui has planted from the beginning. The approach of both teams is reminiscent of the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals.
Dembélé is the most active player in these first minutes, trying to overflow with his already famous capacity for unbalance. It is Koundé who comes to mark him the most to prevent him from hurting the local defense.
First scoring bars between the two teams, who know that their opponent's offensive power can hurt them if they make an absurd mistake.
Sevilla goalkeeper Yassine Bounou started this match with a historic unbeaten record. He has now 528 minutes without conceding a goal in LaLiga, surpassing the previous record, in the hands of Beto, who left his mark at zero for 516 minutes between the end of 2014 and the beginning of 2015.
After drawing in the first round match this season (1-1), Sevilla will seek to avoid defeat in both games against Barcelona in a LaLiga campaign for the first time since 2002/03 (1W 1E).
The game begins in Seville !! Referee Hernández Hernández on this cloudy afternoon in the Andalusian capital.
The great novelty of Barcelona is in its drawing, which today will be a defense of three centrals to stop the bleeding. We'll see how Ronald Koeman's bet turns out …
Barcelona jump onto the Sánchez-Pizjuán lawn with a 1-3-5-2 made up of ter Stegen – Mingueza, Piqué, Lenglet – Dest, Busquets, De Jong, Pedri, Jordi Alba – Messi and Dembélé.
In the premises it surprises the non-inclusion of En-Nesyri in the starting eleven. His position is held by Luuk de Jong. Papu and Munir also start the attack, while Suso will be a substitute. Behind them, all as planned.
Sevilla take the field with the following line-up: Bono – Navas, Koundé, Diego Carlos, Escudero – Jordán, Fernando, Rakitic – Munir, de Jong and Papu Gómez.
Buenas tardes! Welcome to this exciting Sevilla-Barça of the 25th day of the League. A weekend with many high-profile matches. We are already with the eleven headlines.