SEVILLE, Spain – Spanish champions Barcelona were stunned by a 4-1 defeat at Sevilla on Sunday in La Liga, as Alexis Sanchez scored against his former club and Robert Lewandowski missed a crucial penalty.
The Catalans remain second in the table, two points behind Real Madrid, while Sevilla rise provisionally to fourth. Veteran Chilean winger Sanchez opened the scoring from the penalty spot, and Isaac Romero doubled the lead after earlier misses. “The team’s first 45 minutes were horrendous… we must be self-critical,” Barcelona midfielder Pedri Gonzalez told the club’s media channel.
Barcelona’s Struggles and Second-Half Reaction
Marcus Rashford pulled a goal back for Barcelona before halftime, volleying home Pedri’s cross for his first La Liga goal. However, Lewandowski’s penalty miss kept Sevilla ahead, as the striker fired wide after stuttering in his run-up.
Hansi Flick defended his side despite the heavy loss: “It’s one match and we lost it, and we have to keep going on. The second-half reaction of the team was good to see,” he said.
Barcelona had been recovering from a midweek Champions League defeat to PSG and were without injured teenage star Lamine Yamal, contributing to their sluggish performance.
Sevilla’s Dominance
Sevilla controlled large portions of the match despite a weaker squad compared to their peak years. After Araujo’s foul on Romero led to Sanchez’s penalty, Romero converted Ruben Vargas’ cutback to make it 2-0. “I’m very happy for the victory, we needed to win at home,” said Sevilla coach Matias Almeyda. “We couldn’t give them a metre of space… we knew what we had to do and we’re on a good path.”
Sevilla sealed the emphatic win in the final stages through Jose Carmona and Akor Adams, leaving Barcelona to reflect on an unusually heavy defeat.
Key Moments
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Alexis Sanchez scores against former club from penalty.
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Marcus Rashford nets first La Liga goal for Barcelona.
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Lewandowski misses critical penalty opportunity.
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Sevilla finishes strong with Carmona and Adams goals.
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Barcelona remains second, two points behind Real Madrid.
Barcelona must regroup quickly as they aim to stay in title contention, while Sevilla’s confidence grows after a dominant home victory.