Barcelona closed out Matchday 10 of La Liga with a commanding 5-1 triumph over Sevilla at the Montjuïc Olympic Stadium on Sunday night, maintaining their three-point cushion at the top of the table.
Despite facing some tense moments against a determined Sevilla side, Barça held firm, capitalizing on key opportunities to secure a vital victory ahead of a pivotal week of fixtures.
The game began with an unexpected setback for Barcelona when Eric García suffered an injury during the warm-up, prompting manager Hansi Flick to make a tactical reshuffle.
Ansu Fati was drafted into the starting lineup, pushing Raphinha into a deeper midfield role. The Catalans immediately sought to assert control, aiming for quick, incisive passing and high pressing to disrupt Sevilla’s rhythm and force early errors.
However, Barça’s early play was plagued by misplaced passes, giving Sevilla opportunities to threaten on the counterattack.
The Andalusians, led by a pacey frontline, took advantage of Barcelona’s occasional sluggishness in defense, forcing the hosts into some nervy moments in the opening exchanges.
Despite the shaky start, Barça broke the deadlock midway through the first half. Raphinha was brought down in the box by Peque, and Robert Lewandowski coolly converted the ensuing penalty to give the home side the lead.
Just minutes later, Pedri doubled the advantage with a stunning strike from outside the box, putting the Blaugrana firmly in control.
The momentum had shifted dramatically in Barcelona’s favour, and they began to play with greater fluency.
Lamine Yamal, lively throughout, provided a glorious assist for Lewandowski, but the Polish striker missed the chance to add a third.
Undeterred, Lewandowski made amends shortly after, cleverly deflecting a shot from Raphinha to score his second of the night, staying just onside to ensure the goal stood.
The halftime whistle blew with Barcelona leading 3-0, having recovered from a rocky start to establish dominance.
The question for the second half was whether Gavi, returning from a long injury layoff, would feature in the final period.
Barcelona continued their aggressive approach after the break, with Yamal and Raphinha constantly probing the Sevilla defense.
Yamal nearly set up Raphinha for a fourth goal, only for the Brazilian’s effort to be ruled out for offside. As the second half wore on, however, Barça began to lose their sharpness, and Sevilla started to find their feet.
The visitors had a penalty appeal and a goal disallowed, both due to marginal offside decisions, adding tension to the proceedings.
Sensing the need for fresh legs, Flick made a series of substitutions. Fermín López and Pau Víctor were introduced to steady the ship as the game approached its final stages.
But Sevilla continued to apply pressure, and Barça struggled to regain their earlier dominance.
Flick then brought on Pablo Torre and Gerard Martín to help see out the match, and Torre made an instant impact
His shot from inside the box deflected off Sevilla defender Marcão, extending Barça’s lead to 4-0.
This moment also marked the return of Gavi, who came on to a roaring reception, replacing Pedri and taking the captain’s armband for the final ten minutes.
The closing stages provided further drama. Sevilla substitute Stanis Idumbo showcased his blistering pace to score a consolation goal, pulling one back for the visitors.
However, Torre responded immediately, scoring a sublime free-kick that bypassed everyone and nestled into the back of the net, sealing a memorable 5-1 victory for Barça.
As the final whistle blew, Barcelona celebrated another comprehensive victory at Montjuïc. With Gavi back in action, Lewandowski continuing his prolific form, and the team firing on all cylinders, the Blaugrana look well-prepared for their upcoming clashes against Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.
