Sevilla went ahead through Fofana in the 19th minute, but that was the only moment of the night that did not belong to Raphinha. The Barcelona forward leveled three minutes later, then added two more in the second half to complete a hat-trick that made the final score look entirely comfortable. Barcelona left the Estadio Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan with a 3-1 victory and remain the only unbeaten side in La Liga.
Key Moments
- 19′, Sevilla take the lead. Fofana tucks in from close range after a ball played through by Felix Correia gives the hosts an unexpected advantage.
- 22′, Raphinha equalizes almost immediately. Christensen plays the ball forward and Raphinha finishes to level at 1-1 before Sevilla can settle into their lead.
- 52′, Raphinha puts Barcelona ahead. Lamine Yamal delivers a precise pass and Raphinha converts to flip the game seven minutes into the second half.
- 69′, Raphinha completes the hat-trick. Lamine Yamal picks him out again and the Brazilian forward finishes calmly to seal the three points and close out the scoring.
Tactical Breakdown
The statistics reflect how thoroughly Barcelona controlled this match once they recovered from the early shock. Hansi Flick’s side finished with 70 percent possession and 24 total shots to Sevilla’s seven, completing 581 accurate passes against the hosts’ 203. Barcelona generated 12 shots from inside the box and forced Vlachodimos into five saves. Sevilla managed three shots on target all night.
The second half was where Barcelona turned control into goals. Raphinha’s second came seven minutes after the restart and his third arrived in the 69th minute, by which point Sevilla had already begun rotating their bench in an attempt to change the tempo. Both of Raphinha’s second-half goals were set up by Lamine Yamal, who ended the night with two assists and was involved in every meaningful moment of Barcelona’s attacking play. Flick then managed his squad sensibly, withdrawing Raphinha in the 77th minute once the result was secure.
Sevilla’s evening fell apart quickly after Fofana’s opener gave them brief hope. Their 4-2-3-1 offered limited resistance once Barcelona’s press squeezed possession, and the hosts were rarely able to build from the back with any conviction. Sevilla finished with just one corner and committed five offsides, reflecting both their disorganization in transition and their inability to test D. Livakovic consistently. Luis Garcia Plaza’s side remain fifth in La Liga on 13 points, but the gap to the top is now eight points.
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Verdict
Barcelona are seven games into La Liga and have not dropped a point, sitting top on 21 with Real Madrid and Real Betis a distant six behind on 15 from a game fewer. Raphinha’s hat-trick, which multiple outlets confirmed, is the kind of individual performance that sets the tone for a title campaign. Sevilla, sitting fifth, will hope to recover at home but their defensive vulnerabilities were plain to see on a difficult night at the Sanchez-Pizjuan.