Barcelona secured a hard-fought 4-1 victory over Sevilla despite playing with 10 men for the final half-hour, closing the gap on La Liga leaders Real Madrid.
The match got off to a frantic start with both teams scoring within the first 10 minutes. Robert Lewandowski gave Barcelona the lead with a close-range finish, but Sevilla quickly equalized through Ruben Vargas.
The second half saw Barcelona take control, with substitute Fermin Lopez scoring shortly after coming on. Raphinha then extended their lead with a superb strike from outside the box.
Lopez’s Red Card
Barcelona’s momentum was disrupted when Lopez was shown a straight red card for a dangerous challenge on Djibril Sow.4 However, despite being reduced to 10 men, Barcelona held on to secure the victory, with Eric Garcia adding a fourth goal late on.
This victory moves Barcelona within two points of Real Madrid, who drew 1-1 with Atlético Madrid on Saturday. Barcelona are now just one point behind second-placed Atlético. The La Liga title race is heating up, with just two points separating the top three teams.
Barcelona manager Hansi Flick praised his team’s resilience and their ability to overcome adversity.
“It was a difficult game, but we showed character to come back and win,” Flick said. “We are happy to be in the semifinals and we will be giving everything to reach the final.”
Sevilla, who are currently in 13th place in La Liga, will be disappointed with the defeat. They battled hard in the first half, but were ultimately outclassed by Barcelona in the second.
Barcelona will now turn their attention to their next La Liga match against Rayo Vallecano on Monday. They will be hoping to continue their winning ways and maintain their challenge for the title.
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