Barcelona secured a crucial 4-1 victory over Sevilla despite going down to 10 men in the second half.
Goals from Robert Lewandowski, Fermin Lopez, Raphinha and Eric Garcia sealed the three points for the visitors, while Sevilla’s Ruben Vargas had briefly restored parity in the first half.
The game began with Barcelona taking the lead just six minutes in.
A well-worked corner routine saw Inigo Martinez nod the ball into the path of Lewandowski, who instinctively poked it past Nyland to give Barca the advantage.
However, the lead was short-lived, as Sevilla responded just 77 seconds later.
Saul Niguez perfectly timed his run behind the Barcelona defence before squaring the ball to Vargas, who made no mistake with a simple tap-in to level the score at 1-1.
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) February 9, 2025
The first half continued at a frantic pace, with both sides creating chances. Lamine Yamal was a constant threat, forcing Nyland into a spectacular save, while Szczesny was equally busy, denying Lukebakio’s audacious bicycle kick just before the break.
Both teams suffered injury scares, with Ronald Araujo and Gavi picking up knocks, leading to an early substitution for the Uruguayan defender.
Xavi made a key tactical switch at half-time, replacing Gavi with Fermin Lopez, a move that paid immediate dividends.
Just seconds after the restart, Pedri produced a moment of brilliance, lofting an inch-perfect pass into the six-yard box. Nyland misjudged the flight of the ball, allowing Fermin to head home and restore Barcelona’s lead at 2-1.
Sevilla pushed forward in search of an equalizer but struggled to break through a disciplined Barcelona backline. Their task was made easier in the 62nd minute when Fermin went from hero to villain, receiving a straight red card for a reckless studs-up challenge on Djibril Sow.
With Barcelona down to 10 men, Sevilla pressed higher up the pitch but lacked the final pass to create clear-cut opportunities.
The visitors defended resolutely and, against the run of play, put the game to bed in the 55th minute. Pau Cubarsi played a simple pass to Raphinha, who weaved through Sevilla’s defence before unleashing a stunning strike into the far corner, making it 3-1.
Sevilla threw everything forward in the closing stages, with Suso coming close, but Szczesny stood firm to deny the hosts.
Eric Garcia rounded off a successful night by scoring in the closing minutes to make it 4-1.
