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Barcelona visited Sevilla in the first leg of the Copa del Rey quarter-final, and they suffered a 2-0 defeat at the Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium.
Ernesto Valverde rested a host of key players, whereas counterpart Pablo Machin put out a considerably strong outfit. The difference was visible, but either side failed to break the deadlock in the first half. Pablo Sarabia changed that in the second half when he rifled home from Quincy Promes' cross. Substitute Wissam Ben Yedder doubled Sevilla's lead when he slid in at the far post to poke Ever Banega's cross.
Barcelona brought reinforcements from the bench, but it was to no effect. the home crowd was raucous, and Sevilla rewarded them with an impressive win. They will now head to the Camp Nou with a 2-0 lead to defend, which will give them considerable breathing space. The second leg is in seven days' time.
It was a compelling game in the Copa del Rey, and here are the major talking points from the contest.
#5 Valverde's team selection backfires on Barcelona
Ernesto Valverde's starting eleven against Sevilla was nowhere near his strongest lineup. Ousmane Dembele suffered a knee injury in the last game, which sidelined him. Lionel Messi and Sergio Busquets were not even in the squad. Luis Suarez, Philippe Coutinho, and Jordi Alba made the squad, but they started the game on the bench.
Inexperienced players like Carles Alena and Malcom had to shoulder the responsibility, and they could not do it ably. Alena particularly was played out of position in the front three and did not perform well. Kevin-Prince Boateng made his debut, and he will take time to get used to things.
In the last round, Valverde did something similar. He lost in the first leg at Levante but played a strong team in the second leg to progress. Something similar would have been in his mind, but his team was arguably too weak. Sevilla are a commendable outfit, and they exploited the inferior Barca side to great effect. Maybe they will still overturn the deficit, but it is by no means a certainty.
#4 Barcelona fail to contain Sevilla in the second half
The game was closely contested in the early stages, as neither side failed to get a foothold. Both sides were pressing intensely, and clear-cut chances were hard to come by. Barcelona were solid and kept most of the ball without any attacking incision.
Sevilla looked to be the more dangerous side though, and their efforts reaped the rewards in the second half. Both the goals came after the interval, as Barca lost their defensive organization. Gerard Pique failed to deal with Quincy Promes' pace for the first goal, and Barca's midfield evaporated for the second goal.
Navas and Promes looked constant threats down the wings, and Sevilla looked likely to add to their lead rather than Barca's reducing it. One of the reasons for this was Barca's weaker team, but Sevilla deserves all the credit in the world for their performance nonetheless.
#3 Mixed debut for Kevin-Prince Boateng
Boateng completed his surprise move from Sassuolo just a couple of days away, but he was thrust into the starting lineup straightaway. Luis Suarez was benched, and the new recruit was afforded about an hour on the field in his first game.
He made a promising start, and his hold up play was brilliant in the early stages. A strong player, Boateng has never lacked in that department. But he failed to make a considerable impact on proceedings.
One of the major reasons for this is that everything was new for him. Another is the performance of the supporting cast. Boateng did not receive much support from the likes of Malcom and Alena, which definitely contributed to his quiet night.
He still seems like a decent backup to Suarez, and as time passes his level will definitely improve. One really can't judge him accurately from one game in the given circumstances.
#2 Banega and Sarabia lead Sevilla to victory
As they have been so often this season, Ever Banega and Pablo Sarabia were the key components in a Sevilla victory. Banega commanded proceedings from midfield, dictating play as he wanted. This was helped by the fact that Barcelona fielded a weaker midfield.
Sarabia was the other performer, and the Spaniard opened the scoring for Sevilla. His brilliant finish changed the complexion of the tie, as the game looked to be heading for a stalemate. Then he combined with Banega, and the Argentine slid in a cross for Ben Yedder to score the second goal of the night. Quincy Promes also deserves a special mention, as his pace and running caused Barcelona problems throughout the game.
Coach Pablo Machin will be delighted with the performance, and Sevilla looks to be on course for at least one major trophy this campaign.
#1 No attacking inspiration for Barca without Dembele and Messi
Lionel Messi was rested for the match, and Ousmane Dembele was out with a knee injury. Both of them have been Barcelona's best-attacking instigators this season, and the attack suffered without them.
They could carve out only one clear chance in the game, and Malcolm scuffed his effort on that one. Barca took 10 shots in the game, but only 1 of them was on target. It's safe to say that Sevilla goalkeeper Juan Soriano was not troubled much.
Malcom and Alena, who played in the wide positions failed to make much of an impact. Messi's passing and creativity were missed, and Dembele's dribbling and trickery would have come in handy as well. Even after Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho came on, there was no radical improvement. Valverde will definitely play Messi from the off in the coming weeks, at least till Dembele is fit again.
