Barcelona 4-0 Sevilla: 5 Talking Points and Tactical Analysis | La Liga 2019/20

Barcelona cruised past Sevilla 4-0 at the Camp Nou to move to within two points of Real Madrid at the perch of the La Liga table. The visitors started the better of the two sides but were quite clumsy with their finishing.

The hosts made them pay with three goals in eight minutes and never looked back thereafter. Luis Suarez opened the scoring in the 27th minute before Arturo Vidal made the net ripple five minutes later. Ousmane Dembele added further gloss to the score-line with a remarkable finish in the 35th minute.

In the second half, Sevilla had chances to reduce the deficit. But, akin to their first-half showing, they missed the mark astonishingly, thereby enabling Barcelona to establish a stronghold in the match.

Lionel Messi put the result beyond doubt with a sublime free-kick in the 78th minute. However, there was late drama at the Camp Nou when Ronald Araujo and Dembele were sent off in quick succession. While the former was shown a red card for his challenge on Javier Hernandez, the Frenchman was shown the way to the tunnel for dissent.

Here is a look at the talking points from the game.

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#5 Barcelona’s three-goal salvo knocks the stuffing out of Sevilla

Suarez opened the scoring for Barcelona

Barcelona came into the game on the back of an impressive comeback against Inter Milan, where the Blaugrana weren’t at their best but got the job done. Hence, plenty felt that the Catalan outfit would continue on that upward trajectory and come out all guns blazing against Sevilla.

However, for the first quarter of the game, Barcelona were second best and in truth, quite lucky to have not fallen behind.

Sevilla started the encounter brightly and switched the play quite efficiently, often finding the marauding Jesus Navas or Sergio Reguilon in space on the flanks. Yet, they couldn’t combine their industry with ingenuity, meaning that they allowed the hosts to get back into the match. And, the Blaugrana did so in some style.

In eight minutes, the home side made the net bulge thrice. Suarez got things underway with a spectacular effort before Vidal and Dembele added to the score-line before half-time.

Thereafter, Barcelona looked a completely different side as they passed the ball with a lot more conviction, as opposed to their circumspect approach at the outset. Moreover, they pressed the ball high up the pitch and that ploy directly led to the 3rd goal.

Thus, during the opening 45 minutes, the Blaugrana had somehow managed to flicker between the miserable and the mesmerising. Thankfully for the Camp Nou faithful though, the latter aspect shone through, despite the former looking extremely likely for a major chunk of the period.

#4 Ousmane Dembele explodes on the flanks before imploding

Dembele was sensational before being sent off

Ernesto Valverde decided to shuffle his offensive pack for Sevilla’s visit and he recalled Dembele to the starting line-up. Thus, the Frenchman, who replaced Antoine Griezmann, was under immense pressure to perform, considering the former’s much maligned time at Barcelona. And, it’s fair to say that Dembele gave a good account of himself, on the footballing front.

The forward looked energetic throughout the game and showed glimpses of the immense talent that he possesses. On countless occasions, he beat his man with an exemplary first touch or a burst of acceleration, thereby indicating that he had shaken off his recent injury.

More impressively though, the Frenchman was judicious in picking his moments to use his repertoire of skills. In the past, Dembele has often been accused of over-complicating things a touch. Yet, against Sevilla, none of that materialised and he even popped up with a goal.

After Barcelona had pinched the ball in midfield, the ball fell to the forward who waltzed his way into the box before cutting inside the Sevilla defender wonderfully. He then curled the ball beyond the reach of the goalkeeper to hand the Blaugrana a three-goal cushion at the break.

However, there were rash moments too, namely an agricultural attempted finish in the 68th minute and a moment of madness for the red card.

Ever since Dembele’s move from Borussia Dortmund, the Frenchman has divided opinion at the Camp Nou. Additionally, several have considered his hefty price tag. However, if he keeps conjuring performances of a similar ilk, without losing his head, those conversations would most certainly die down.

#3 Sevilla left to rue their missed opportunities

Sevilla were guilty of missing several chances

Through the early stages of the season, no team had managed to strip Barcelona of a point at the Camp Nou. Hence, Sevilla faced a monumental task trying to be the first side to do so. And, while they ultimately came unstuck, they started the game extremely promisingly.

The hosts were overrun in the opening exchanges as the visitors imposed themselves on the match. Consequently, Sevilla fashioned themselves a few presentable openings.

The first of those chances fell to Luuk de Jong. But, the striker only managed to fire his shot straight at Marc-Andre ter Stegen. A few minutes later, the Dutchman was accorded another opportunity to put Sevilla ahead. Yet, he fluffed his lines with the goal gaping.

De Jong though, still had time to waste another chance when his header from Lucas Ocampos’ cross bounced over the crossbar. In a trice, Barcelona responded with three goals and effectively put the game beyond the visitors.

The away side’s profligacy continued in the second period too when their Dutch striker struck the post after getting into a 1v1 situation with the Blaugrana’s German keeper.

So far this term, Sevilla have largely played well despite lacking a cutting edge. Yet, at the Camp Nou, that trait reared its ugly head and the visitors were left ruing what could’ve been, on an evening that began so encouragingly.

#2 Barcelona’s quality masks a hint of collective deficiency

Messi popped up with a wonderful free-kick

Over the past couple of seasons, Barcelona have had their fair share of critics. Once hailed as one of the most team-oriented sides across the planet, the Blaugrana have slowly but surely shifted towards a more individual-oriented approach lately. And, that characteristic came to the fore against Sevilla.

For large parts of the game, the Blaugrana looked a little jaded and a bit off the pace. However, when presented with openings in the offensive third, they sprung to life and provided the requisite quality.

The first goal saw Suarez unfurl a majestic left-footed bicycle kick whereas the second goal was created by Arthur Melo’s sumptuous through-ball for Vidal.

Dembele called upon his dazzling dribbling abilities for the third while Messi also announced himself with a customary free-kick goal.

During the game, there were times when the hosts were overwhelmed by Sevilla, especially on the flanks where the visitors’ full-backs and wingers created instances of numerical superiority.

However, the Blaugrana were willing to bide their time and then sprinkle the game with individual brilliance.

And, while that may have been unthinkable a few years ago, that has become more of a norm nowadays.

#1 Barcelona’s defensive problems hit fever pitch

Valverde needs to find a defensive fix before Barcelona's next match

Before the encounter, Barcelona had won all their previous matches at the Camp Nou. And, they stuck to those guns against Sevilla with a 4-0 victory, keeping a first clean sheet at home in the process. However, that came at a major cost.

Jean-Clair Todibo hobbled off for the final quarter of an hour and his replacement, Ronald Araujo was sent off moments later.

A few minutes before the debutant was given his marching orders, Gerard Pique bagged himself an unnecessary yellow card for kicking the ball away. Though the Spaniard might have done so for ‘tactical’ reasons, that could yet come to bite Barcelona after the international break.

At the moment, the Blaugrana face the prospect of lining up with the most makeshift of defences against Eibar. Clement Lenglet, who was suspended for the Sevilla clash, would provide a bit of respite but the non-availability of Araujo, Pique and probably, Todibo would cause more than a furrowed brow or two among the Barcelona ranks.

Though Sergio Busquets can fill in for a solitary game, one can’t help but ask how the Blaugrana have found themselves in such a circumstance.

And probably, it might be time for Valverde to call up Didier Deschamps, asking the latter not to play Lenglet. For, if the unthinkable happens and the French defender gets injured on international duty, Barcelona might have to patch together a central defensive partnership without a conventional centre back.