Barcelona was always going to find the match at the Sanchez Pizjuan against Sevilla very difficult. A win could have pushed the Catalans to the top of the table if combined with a Villarreal loss on Sunday. In the two sides’ first meeting in August in the European Super Cup, Barcelona came out of a goal-bonanza 5-4 winners, but without Lionel Messi, Rafinha and Andres Iniesta and Sevilla being without Beto, Banega and a few more, this was expected to be a much different affair.
Here are three talking points from Barcelona’s loss to Sevilla:
Sevilla were far more desperate for the win
To claim the La Liga title and see off the challenge of Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, a full campaign of few slip-ups is required. Sitting atop the table during the international break could have been a message to the rest of the league that even shorthanded and stripped to their bare bones, Barcelona could still sit on top.
Yet, after taking a second glance at the table, Sevilla appears to be the one who needed the win more. Playing at home and sitting near the relegation zone, Unai Emery and company needed to play their best game of the season, and that’s basically what they did.
Without Messi on the right and cutting into the middle, Luis Enrique showed the way he wanted his injury-depleted squad to play. Build through the back as they always do, with Sergio Busquets getting farther forward than Javier Mascherano and Ivan Rakitic serving as the primary link from defense to attack.
Far too many wasted opportunities
It’s always a polarizing argument after a loss. Did the offense not do enough or was the defense too weak? Often, it’s a whole lot of both. While they did hit the crossbar three times, the Blaugrana also had nine shots on goal, five coming from Neymar and only two from Luis Suarez. Unfortunately, the Uruguayan striker didn’t get the clean looks he is accustomed to throughout the match and found it tough to make his mark on the game.
It was a tale of two halves for Luis Enrique’s men. With Sergio Busquets and Javier Mascherano manning the middle of the park, Barcelona spent much of the first half absorbing Sevilla’s offensive attacks and counter-attacking through Neymar, Munir El Haddadi and Rakitic to hopefully find Suarez.
In his postgame comments, missed chances were the one thing that Luis Enrique focused on. With Messi out, of course Neymar and Suarez will be expected to score with Rakitic helping out, but fans are still waiting for Sandro or Munir to get on the score-sheet.
Why did Barcelona lose in Sevilla? Which players disappointed you the most?