A recap of Barcelona's emphatic 5-1 win over Sevilla, as a Lionel Messi hat-trick helped change history, oh, and secure the three points
FC Barcelona continued their resurgence with a resounding 5-1 win over Unai Emery’s high-flying Sevilla FC at the Camp Nou on Saturday evening, as a record-breaking hat-trick from Lionel Messi and a goal apiece for Neymar and Ivan Rakitić guided Barça to a much-needed victory. From start to finish, Barcelona were dominant and Lionel Messi was simply irresistible. After all, this was his night.
Barcelona | Sevilla | |
Possession | 77% | 23% |
Total Shots | 26 | 4 |
Shots on Target | 11 | 2 |
Corners | 12 | 3 |
Fouls | 9 | 13 |
Offsides | 0 | 1 |
Yellow Cards | 2 | 2 |
Red Cards | 0 | 0 |
Up against a high-flying Sevilla outfit, it came as no real surprise that Luis Enrique named arguably his strongest available starting line-up for tonight’s match at the Camp Nou. While Andrés Iniesta missed out through injury and Javier Mascherano was omitted for tactical reasons, this was an incredible selection of star names: Claudio Bravo; Dani Alves, Gerard Piqué, Jeremy Mathieu, Jordi Alba; Sergio Busquets, Xavi, Ivan Rakitić; Luis Suarez, Neymar, Lionel Messi. On paper, this line-up was good enough to not only beat Sevilla, but possessed enough talent to overwhelm them entirely.
However, we all know how Barcelona have looked in recent weeks and in the immediate aftermath of the international break...let’s just say there was plenty of potential for a slip up. How would the Blaugrana perform? Would they display the early season form that saw them charge into top spot, or would it be a repeat of the dismal showings that have caused Barça to slip away into the chasing pack?
***
The early signs at the Camp Nou were encouraging. Barcelona started the match brightly, immediately forcing Sevilla onto the back-foot. Naturally, we expected this would happen before long, but the up-tempo start came as a welcome improvement upon some of our most recent showings. That being said, there were warning signs as well. Sevilla seemed to welcome the opportunity to drop deep and it was clear why; whenever an attack broke down the visitors leapt forward with intent, looking to strike on the counter-attack.
For each side, there were clear pitfalls to this pattern; for Sevilla, they were allowing Barça early chances and aside from an early (uncalled) foul on Lionel Messi, they also escaped unharmed as they allowed the Argentine time to unleash his first shot of the night around the eight minute mark. It was nothing special, but it was on target. With history in sight, Messi was anxious to grab a goal and Sevilla were walking a tightrope by simply allowing him even the slightest glimpse of goal.
For Barça, there was always the risk of an Almeria-esque goal; a one, or two-man counter-attack that would ultimately break the deadlock. Players like Ever Banega could pick the passes; Carlos Bacca was more than capable of scoring any chances that fell his way. In the first quarter of an hour, Sevilla didn’t create anything – but the lingering doubts remained...
Indeed they would remain, probably until Barça helped themselves to a commanding lead – or until the end of the match, whichever came sooner. Based on the flow of the game, the former seemed more probable, but Sevilla were holding firm, even in the face of heavy Barcelona pressure. Good interplay between Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba and Neymar culminated in a shot for the latter, a shot that could have quite easily broken the deadlock if not for a dedicated block from the Sevilla defense.
The problem for Unai Emery was that his players were playing a dangerous game; they clearly had orders to press the Barça attack, but their pressing often crossed a line – an over-eager and probably unnecessary challenge from Ever Banega on Lionel Messi handed our little genius a free-kick in prime real estate. Slightly left of centre, roughly 25 to 30 yards from goal. It was arguably in the perfect position for Xavi, but Messi stepped up, Telmo Zarra’s record in mind and curled in an absolute beauty.
The four man wall jumped to try and block, but their efforts made no difference. This one was destined for the back of the net and Beto could only watch as the ball flew past his out-stretched hand and into the top corner.
A worthy goal for such a special moment.
Watching the opening half an hour to this match, it would have been impossible to guess that this Barça team was in crisis. The passing was crisp, the movement was good and defensively, we were looking great. Heck, overall we were looking great. Sevilla simply didn’t have an answer and if they didn’t find out a way to stem the bleeding, Barça would take advantage.
Well, they should have. Last ditch blocks and fine saves helped keep Jordi Alba and Neymar at bay, and while Sevilla should have found an answer, their answer appeared to be more fouls. Just further away from goal. Coke and Krychowiak earned themselves yellow cards for their troubles as the visitors flirted with the prospect of finishing the match with ten men. Emery needed the half-time break, not just to try and salvage something from this match but just to keep his players from falling off the edge.
For Barcelona and for Luis Enrique, everything was going to plan...
***
Until it wasn’t. Sevilla couldn’t get much worse than they were in the first half; they didn’t register a single shot in the 45 minutes, and while that fact didn’t change in the first three minutes of the second half, Sevilla still got an equaliser. Vitolo was the architect, breezing past both Dani Alves and Gerard Piqué to get to the byline and find the space for a cross. He opted to play it in low and while Denis Suarez couldn’t get a foot to it, Jordi Alba did and could only watch in horror as he inadvertently diverted the ball into the back of the net.
It didn’t matter.
Immediately, Barcelona responded. Winning yet another free-kick in dangerous territory, Barça swing in a cross – surely Sevilla would clear? This was a cross from FC Barcelona after all...but with a few key differences. The delivery from Xavi was inch-perfect, simply stunning. The run from Neymar was brilliant, and his header was even better as the Brazilian glanced the ball into the far corner of the net to restore his side’s advantage not to mention restore his advantage over Lionel Messi in the race for the Pichichi.
Crisis averted, again.
Enter Gerard Deulofeu for Sevilla, cue the third goal for FC Barcelona; Ivan Rakitić was the scorer, Luis Suarez was the creator lifting a teasing cross to find the Croatian midfielder’s run at the far post and there was no way Rakitić could miss. In true gentlemanly fashion, Rakitić looked sheepish and was unwilling to celebrate a goal against his former club; but it was an important one that surely secured the three points.
With the match all but over as a contest, it was time for Messi to take centre stage. Equalling the record earlier was a headline moment; but it wasn’t enough for Leo – there was still time to break the record, so he did just that with a little help from Neymar who laid the goal on a silver platter with a tremendously selfless assist. Luis Suarez was lying in wait, but Messi knew this was his moment. He took the gamble, slid in and converted. 252, and still counting.
Reminder, Messi is only 27.
Exit Luis Suarez, exit Xavi; enter Pedro, enter Rafinha. Barcelona were coasting it. Lionel Messi was coasting it.
Hat-trick time.
Dribbling past Sevilla defenders for fun, playing a give and go with Neymar, it was all too simple, purely because Lionel Messi was operating on another level. Neymar’s pass back wasn’t even that great, but Messi shifted it back onto his favoured left and curled it into the corner.
Proof, if any more was needed that we are watching a footballing deity at the very peak of his powers. What more can we say? We’re blessed.
Next up, FC Barcelona travel to Cyprus to take on APOEL Nicosia as they look to keep pace with Paris Saint-Germain at the top of Group F, until then, Visca el Barça!
| Roll Call Info | |
|---|---|
| Total comments | 319 |
| Total commenters | 35 |
| Commenter list | Abdul95, Abohabiba, Anders Thomassen, AraibKarim, Ayush Tiwari, AzBlaug, Bostjan Cernensek, Chatchai Chotiput, CifuentesErick, El_Illusionista, FCBRojas, Ian Reynolds, KiwiBarca, MMcCoy11_FCB, MessiLeftFoot, MiB75, Navz, Piquénbauer, Rajesh1101s, Renato Goncalves, Ruy Diaz, Sina Mousavi, Uncharted_Almo, Varungrover, Waje.y, Willis1984, craig00000, footballfordoze, hobo_barca, milesbarca, pacemaker10, shubham2806, syredeathtrooper, tilak, uday kakoti |
| Story URLs | |
| # | Commenter | # Comments |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bostjan Cernensek | 56 |
| 2 | Navz | 52 |
| 3 | KiwiBarca | 28 |
| 4 | AraibKarim | 21 |
| 5 | milesbarca | 16 |
| 6 | Anders Thomassen | 16 |
| 7 | pacemaker10 | 15 |
| 8 | shubham2806 | 13 |
| 9 | MessiLeftFoot | 9 |
| 10 | uday kakoti | 9 |
| 11 | Ruy Diaz | 9 |
| 12 | tilak | 9 |
| 13 | El_Illusionista | 8 |
| 14 | Abdul95 | 6 |
| 15 | Uncharted_Almo | 6 |
| 16 | Abohabiba | 5 |
| 17 | syredeathtrooper | 5 |
| 18 | MiB75 | 4 |
| 19 | Willis1984 | 4 |
| 20 | Ian Reynolds | 4 |
| 21 | CifuentesErick | 4 |
| 22 | Rajesh1101s | 3 |
| 23 | MMcCoy11_FCB | 2 |
| 24 | Waje.y | 2 |
| 25 | AzBlaug | 2 |
| 26 | Sina Mousavi | 2 |
| 27 | Piquénbauer | 1 |
| 28 | FCBRojas | 1 |
| 29 | hobo_barca | 1 |
| 30 | Varungrover | 1 |
| 31 | Renato Goncalves | 1 |
| 32 | craig00000 | 1 |
| 33 | Ayush Tiwari | 1 |
| 34 | Chatchai Chotiput | 1 |
| 35 | footballfordoze | 1 |
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