Reaction : Sevilla 0 – 2 Barça. Arguably the best match under Koeman
Brilliant. Barça finally beat a strong opponent, Sevilla, and that’s the way to do it. An impressive performance from the whole team gives us hope for the title, and maybe even some of that for the Copa del Rey and Champions League.
Ahead of this game, Ronald Koeman opted for a 3 — 5 — 2 and boy did that pay off. Having Ousmane Dembélé and Leo Messi man-marking Koundé and Carlos caused Sevilla real problems, so one can easily say that Koeman outwitted Lopetegui today. Dembélé scored the opener and we led marginally yet confidently at half time.
Second Half
Surprisingly, the second half was nearly just as intense as the first one, as we rarely let Sevilla build up undeterred. Nevertheless, they did get some chances and we were lucky not to concede. Leo Messi finally gave us a moment to breathe by doubling our lead late on.
Talking about the individuals, everyone performed. Busquets was exquisite, man of the match for me without a seed of doubt. Frenkie de Jong also shone, while Leo Messi and Ousmane Dembélé ran the show up front. Another big positive is Ilaix Moriba’s fantastic cameo performance, with the youngster constantly pushing forward and getting into dangerous areas. The big concern, however, is Ronald Araújo’s relapse as he limped off the pitch in the dying stages of the game.
So so much to discuss about our emphatic display that I cannot fit it into this. But for now, at least we know that there is some hope.
