Barcelona secured a vital 4-1 victory over Sevilla at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán Stadium, trimming the gap at the top of La Liga to just two points.
The match began at a blistering pace with two quick goals within the opening eight minutes. Robert Lewandowski put Barça ahead, stretching to convert a close-range effort for his 19th league goal of the campaign.
Sevilla responded immediately. Straight from the restart, a swift attack ended with Rubén Vargas firing in at the back post to level the score.
Despite conceding so quickly, Barcelona dominated possession for the remainder of the first half.
However, it wasn’t until the first minute of the second half that they restored their lead. Fermín López found the back of the net after latching onto Pedri’s perfectly weighted cross.
Raphinha added a third shortly after with a brilliant individual effort, turning past a defender and blasting the ball beyond Ørjan Nyland.
Barcelona’s momentum suffered a setback in the 62nd minute when López was shown a red card after a VAR review for a rough challenge on Djibril Sow.
Despite being reduced to 10 men, Hansi Flick’s side defended well and even managed to extend their lead late on.
Eric García sealed the win in the 89th minute, heading home Raphinha’s free-kick after it sailed through the crowded box.
The victory keeps Barcelona in third place, now just a point behind Atlético Madrid and two adrift of league leaders Real Madrid.
