Barcelona have one hand on the Spanish Super Cup as Luis Suarez and Munir El Haddadi ensured the Spanish champions enter the second leg with a healthy 2-0 advantage.
Just 5 days since being put to the sword by Real Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup, Sevilla started the game on a brighter note, taking the game to their mighty visitors with some relentless running. However, the intensity fizzled out by the time the second half began.
The Catalans made the most of this as Suarez broke the deadlock just 9 minutes into the second half, before Munir all but sealed an unprecedented 12th Supercopa, with a late strike. The victory, however, came at a cost as, Jeremy Mathieu and Andres Iniesta were taken off injured, dampening the jubilant mood in Seville.
Here are some of the talking points from the first leg of the 2016 Spanish Super Cup.
#1 Suarez ready for another barnstorming season
Having knocked in 59 goals in 53 games for the most prolific campaign of his career, Luis Suarez looks all but ready to repeat the feat again. The Uruguayan had a brilliant game in the traditional La Liga curtain-raiser with a telling performance and bagged a goal for himself.
A precise pass from Denis Suarez was chested down by Arda Turan straight into the path of Suarez, who finished the move off with another clinical strike to hand Barcelona the lead. Suarez was the biggest threat going forward, troubling the Sevilla defence with his attacking instincts.
Suarez won the European Golden Boot last season for being the top scorer of the continent, and on this evidence, looks set to retain the honor.
#2 Injuries steal Barca’s thunder
A 2-0 away win in the first leg of the cup is a good result by all means, but Barcelona were dealt with a double blow, as Jeremy Mathieu and Andres Iniesta sustained injuries in the first half, that is set to keep them out of the return leg in Camp Nou
Amid Sevilla’s energetic play in the first 45 minutes, Mathieu succumbed to a hamstring injury after a rash challenge to his leg, making way for newbie Lucas Digne for his Barcelona debut. Just minutes later, the visitors suffered another injury as their captain Iniesta too, had to be taken off after the Spaniard was dealt a heavy blow on his right knee, forcing another change.
The extent of their injuries is yet to be ascertained, but both are certainly ruled out of the deciding leg at home on Wednesday.
#3 Denis Suarez stars on debut
One man’s loss is another man’s gains. While Andres Iniesta limped off with an injury, Denis Suarez came on for the Barca skipper to make his debut and left a lasting impression.
The 22-year old youngster was involved in the opener as he ran into the space to lay the ball for Turan who then assisted Suarez to break the deadlock. Denis made an early impact in what turned out to be a solid 45 minutes for him.
A livewire in attack, he linked up brilliantly with Messi and Suarez whilst also trying his luck at goal himself. Replacing someone of the quality of Iniesta is no mean feat, but the former Villareal man made it look easy with his deft play.
An encouraging start for the Spanish youngster.
#4 Sevilla lose steam after an explosive first-half
As it is the case at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan every time, Sevilla started the game as the more dominant side. The hosts flew off the gates with their direct, fast approach that had Barcelona on the back foot for a good 45 minutes, only to nosedive after the break.
Sevilla’s high-pressing game threw the Spanish champions in a tizzy, as Sampaoli’s side relentlessly threw bodies forward. The frantic nature of the half also saw two Barca players trudge off with injuries, but that didn’t stop Los Rojiblancos.
In the second half, though, Sevilla petered off dramatically as the Blaugrana grew into the game. The mid-week exertions in the UEFA Super Cup to Real Madrid probably started taking it’s toll on the players, as the home side struggled to maintain the intensity of the first-half.
Down and out by the end of 90 minutes, they were soundly beaten by the visitors to effectively end their pursuit of a silverware.
#5 Selection headaches for Enrique ahead of the second-leg
With Andres Iniesta and Jeremy Mathieu unlikely to feature in the second-leg, manager Luis Enrique will be forced to make certain tactical tweaks ahead of the decider at home.
Arda Turan, who started as a winger, might be slotted back in midfield to cover up for Iniesta’s absence, whereas Munir, who impressed in his bit part role again, will probably be handed a start alongside Messi and Suarez in the attack. However, Denis Suarez is waiting in the wings, too, after an impressive debut.
At the back, Lucas Digne might play his first full 90 minutes, while another change or two can be expected to cope with the absentees and injuries.
