Barcelona suffered their first defeat of the new La Liga season after being beaten 4-1 by Sevilla away from home, relinquishing their top spot on the league table to Real Madrid.
In the eighth round of La Liga, Sevilla took an early lead thanks to goals from Sánchez and Isaac Romero. Although Marcus Rashford pulled one back for Barcelona to rekindle hope for the visitors, Sevilla struck twice again in stoppage time to seal a dominant 4-1 victory, handing Barcelona back-to-back defeats in all competitions.
This loss leaves Barcelona in second place with 19 points from six wins, one draw, and one defeat, trailing leaders Real Madrid by two points.
Meanwhile, Sevilla has bounced back impressively with two straight wins, moving up to sixth place with 13 points from four wins, one draw, and three losses.
Sánchez Opens the Scoring, Romero Doubles the Lead
With several key players sidelined due to injuries, Barcelona’s overall strength was visibly weakened. In the 11th minute, Sevilla’s Isaac Romero was brought down in the box by Ronald Araújo, earning the hosts a penalty. Veteran Sánchez calmly converted from the spot to give Sevilla a 1-0 lead.
Sevilla continued to press their advantage and struck again in the 37th minute. Vargas launched a swift counterattack down the left flank and delivered a precise cross to the right side of the box, where Isaac Romero fired home to make it 2-0.
Rashford Scores His First La Liga Goal, Lewandowski Misses Crucial Penalty
In first-half stoppage time, Rashford latched onto a lofted pass from Pedri and volleyed in to score his first La Liga goal, bringing Barcelona back into the game at 2-1 before the break.
However, in the 76th minute of the second half, Barcelona had a golden chance to equalise when they were awarded a penalty. Robert Lewandowski stepped up to take it but failed to convert, missing a key opportunity to level the score.
Sevilla Strikes Twice Late to Seal the Win
Having survived the scare, Sevilla regained control and finished strong. In the 90th minute, Carmona dribbled down the right wing, cut into the box, and slotted the ball into the far corner to make it 3-1.
Five minutes later, in the 95th minute, Ejuke advanced down the left before cutting the ball across for Akou Adams, who coolly slotted home to seal a comprehensive 4-1 victory for Sevilla.
Betis Break into Top Four as Real Sociedad Struggle
Elsewhere in La Liga, Alavés defeated Elche 3-1 at home; Atlético Madrid, who triumphed in the previous round’s derby, were held to a 1-1 draw away to Celta Vigo.
Real Betis claimed a 2-1 away win over Espanyol to move into the top four, while Real Sociedad continued their poor run, suffering a 0-1 home defeat to Rayo Vallecano, dropping to second from bottom in the standings.
