Barca’s strong team effort that resulted in a wonderful comeback - FC Barcelona vs Sevilla – Copa del Rey QF 2nd Leg

FC Barcelona vs Sevilla – Copa del Rey QF 2^nd Leg – Jan 30, 2019


Match Analysis

Before the game started, Sevilla came up with a hilarious tweet – “#ThingsIwouldBan – #Messi from the #CopadelRey quarter-final “.

Barcelona came into the 2nd leg with a tough task. They had to turn around a 2-goal deficit from the 1^st leg against Sevilla. Barca required a minimum of 3 goals without conceding any, to progress. Valverde had heavily rotated his team during the 1^st leg that led to the defeat. A determined Sevilla were at the Camp Nou, with the aim of ousting the title holders.

Sevilla started brightly but a full-strength Barcelona were more determined. Barca were more cohesive and started to attack. The waves of aggression finally resulted in a penalty that broke the deadlock. Messi and Coutinho were involved in a neat one-two before Messi was brought down in the box.  Despite VAR, the penalty was awarded, which was contentious because there was very little contact. Messi let Coutinho take the penalty and the Brazilian finished off with a powerful, low strike to put Barcelona in front.

There was an urgency as Barcelona looked for the crucial 2^nd goal. But Sevilla never sat back. They were determined to get the important away goal that would ensure their progress into the semis. The strike of Andre Silva was saved by Cillesen as the ball came off the post. Soon Sevilla were awarded a penalty as Pique fouled Mesa. But Banega’s shot was parried off by Cillesen who anticipated fantastically and thus kept his team’s hope alive. Barca once again got a life line.

Then it was the turn of the talented Arthur to send in a long, defense-splitting, sliding pass; it found the lurking Rakitic whose slight touch (which looked unintentional) took it past the goalkeeper Soriano to make it 2-0 in favour of the hosts.

Pique could have scored a header, from a set piece, while Messi and Suarez threatened from close quarters. There were also a few Sevilla attacks. At halftime, the aggregate was 2-2 and it was anybody’s game.

Sevilla started the 2^nd half with the intention to score that were handled well by the Barcelona defense. But within the next ten minutes, Barcelona struck twice in quick succession. A cross from Luis Suarez was headed in low by a determined Coutinho, who managed to break free of his markers. Then came a moment of magic when Messi, attracting the Sevilla defenders towards him, created a lovely, delicate, reverse pass that was well read by Sergi Roberto, who finished it clinically, to make it 4-0.  

It looked all over for Sevilla but they refused to give in. They went on the offensive and created chances. But they couldn’t get past the Barcelona defense who refused to buckle under pressure. A wrong clearance from Cillesen gave Sevilla the much needed break. Arana’s screaming effort brushed past the diving goalkeeper’s fingers to make it 4-1 and Sevilla were back in the game. All they needed was one more goal to win on aggregate. A desperate Sevilla pressed high, but it led to more counter attacks from Barca.

A brilliant ball from Busquets landed near Luis Suarez, who was in a great position to strike. Instead he squared it to Messi who delayed his shot a bit too long and his point blank strike was saved by Soriano. Similarly, a perfect Messi pass was sent high by Sergi Roberto who could have scored easily. Sevilla breathed a sigh of relief and it looked like Barca lost their chance to seal the game.

Barca realizing that offense was the best option, pressed harder as Sevilla struggled to hold on to the ball. As the game edged towards a tense finish, Sevilla managed to get a corner. The ball was cleared by Luis Suarez who sent it towards a practically free Messi. Messi burst forward and crossed it to Jordi Alba (who else!). Alba’s well-timed pass was met by Luis Suarez (he just never paused even for a second during the game) who deservedly scored with a simple tap. 

5-1 game over!

Sevilla had no fight left in them as the Camp Nou crowd went wild.  But Barcelona still had some unfinished business because they needed to put the cherry on top of the icing. One little guy was yet to get on the score-sheet and Barca reserved their best for the last.

A free kick awarded to Sevilla, in added time, was cleared. Alena latched on to it and passed it to Messi on the right. Messi’s long cross found Vidal on the far left, who teed it off to Luis Suarez. Suarez passed it to Pique (who somehow always, manages to get into centre forward positions! LOL) in the box and rushed forward. Pique back heeled it to Suarez who crossed it to Jordi Alba who was now in the box. Alba in turn,  back heeled it to the sprinting Messi who made it look very easy, with a sweet finish to make it 6-1. That final move was a perfect example of the glorious Barcelona one-touch football. A lovely team move, so typical of FC Barcelona, worth all the time watching the game, waking up so early in the morning (in India).

You could see the distraught Sevilla fans with a sad look and some of them yawning as if to show that this was nothing new for them. The referee thankfully blew the whistle and put an unlucky Sevilla out of any further misery. 

The score-sheet was a not a real testimony of the match as Sevilla had the dominant Barcelona, under pressure on several occasions. Sadly they were poor in their finishing, which cost them the tie. FC Barcelona needed to be at their brilliant best and they were, without doubt, the better team, who deserved to win.

Finally, how prophetic was that Sevilla pre-match tweet!

PS - Every goal scored by FC Barcelona in this game are worth re-looking into, for its sheer beauty and magic, especially the 6th one. It reminded that Football is the beautiful game. 

Image Credits - Google Images