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Barcelona suffered a major blow in their quest for a third consecutive La Liga title as they were held to a goalless draw by a dogged Sevilla side who showed unflinching determination to successfully neutralise the threat of Lionel Messi.
The Blaugrana dropped two points in Seville, leaving the door open for Real Madrid to go atop the league standings on Sunday if they can overcome Real Sociedad.
The game was a classic example of the unstoppable force paradox, where Barcelona's attack, led by Messi, was met by Sevilla's well-organised and unbreakable defence.
The game between the reigning champions and the third-placed side delivered on all its promises except for the goals. The goalkeepers at both ends of the pitch deserve a lot of credit for managing to keep their clean sheets, especially Marc-Andre ter Stegen, whose point-blank save in the 53rd minute is what earned his team a point from the game.
So, as Messi was denied a historical 700th goal and Barcelona settled for one point from the game, here is a look at five reasons why the exhilarating fixture ended in a stalemate.
#5 Sevilla won the battle in the middle of the pitch
Barcelona's attacking strategy is becoming kind of predictable lately as their players usually make sure that all forward passes go through Messi.
There is nothing wrong with this strategy when one considers the kind of magic the left-footed maestro can do with the ball at his feet. However, the tactic sometimes comes at a cost, as seen in tonight's fixture. When the opposition players do not even give the Argentine enough space to turn, the whole plan simply falls apart.
It was clear that Quique Setién wanted his men to attack through the centre of the pitch in this match. However, his opposite number Julen Lopetegui had two brilliant defensive midfielders in his ranks, who were able to stop any potential opportunity and were especially successful in marking Messi.
This overwhelming focus on containing Messi and Suarez also meant that Sevilla had limited personnel in the final third to counter-attack, making it difficult for them to generate attacking chances in the first half.
#4 Barcelona full-backs were in command of the flanks
Just as Sevilla were successful in subduing Barcelona's attacking threat in the centre of the pitch, the visitors also had the answers to their opponents' main attacking tactics. The Catalans' full-back pairing of Jordi Alba and Nelson Semedo completely cut off the supply into the box and won the majority of the battles against Munir and Lucas Ocampos respectively.
Throughout the campaign, Sevilla have relied heavily on their utilisation of the width of the flanks to deliver crosses into the box. This is evident from the fact that Jesus Navas has delivered more balls into the box than any other player in the Spanish top-flight. Tonight, however, it took him 35 minutes to attempt his first cross.
#3 Sevilla's tight defensive organisation
In one of the most disciplined defensive displays in football since league action resumed across Europe, Sevilla managed to choke the Barcelona attackers with their organisation, man-marking and no-nonsense defending.
21-year-old Jules Koundé was impressive in the backline and held his ground well against the likes of Messi and Suarez. He made a host of courageous tackles, but it was in the air that he really excelled. His perfectly-timed headed clearance of Messi's free-kick in the 20th minute kept the hosts in the game.
Right from the start, the defenders maintained a tight structure at the back and rarely committed errors. They were quick to reorganise into their original formation every time and also closed down on their opponents, leaving them with no space to take an extra touch or two in dangerous positions.
They were helped by the presence of two strong defensive midfielders in front of them and Fernando even played as a fifth defender for the better part of the game.
#2 Barcelona saved by Marc-André ter Stegen
Marc-André ter Stegen played a pivotal role as he helped Barcelona come off the game with a single point. When Messi failed to produce his magic in the final third, it was up to the German goalkeeper to make sure that they should not concede.
His performance between the sticks proved why he is one of the best in the business. He was extremely calm and collected on the pitch and had answers for anything the Sevilla attackers had to offer, including a stunning point-blank save that denied the hosts the three points from the game.
#1 Barcelona failed to adapt their approach in the final third
Lionel Messi tried his best to create chances against a defence that gave him no breathing space at all. He managed to win free-kicks in dangerous positions and even executed them with perfection, but it ultimately just wasn't his day.
Sensing that their captain is being targeted by the defenders, either Suarez or Brathwaite should've stepped up and made runs into the box. However, they kept waiting for the ball, which, to Sevilla's credit, seldom made it to them.
In the second half, the desperation from the visitors was clear every time they held possession. They would either take the ball out on the wings and try to find Suarez in the middle with crosses or cut the ball to Messi, who would instantly find himself surrounded by white shirts.
Barcelona's players failed to improvise and instead stuck to their limited attacking strategies, which were as clear as day to the opposition defenders, who were more than happy to intercept these passes.
