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Barcelona suffered a 2-0 defeat to Sevilla in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-finals on Wednesday night. Barcelona are the record-winners of the famous competition, lifting the trophy on 30 different occasions, while Sevilla has won the title twice.
Both Barcelona and Sevilla were in superb form coming into this fixture. While Barcelona had lost just one in their last 16 games, Sevilla had only tasted defeat once in their last 17.
Barcelona were looking to extend their five-game unbeaten run against Sevilla and put one foot in the finals of the competition with a first-leg victory. In an end-to-end affair at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium, both Sevilla and Barcelona took the game to each other as they searched for the opener.
After both sides squandered decent chances in the early stages, it was defender Jules Kounde who broke the deadlock in the 25th minute, ensuring Sevilla went into the break with a slender 1-0 lead.
In the second half, Barcelona continued to mount pressure in search of an equalizer, but the Sevilla defenders, alongside an inspired Yassine Bounou, did enough to ensure their lead remained intact.
With Barcelona throwing men forward late in the game in a bid to restore parity, Sevilla substitute Torres played a brilliant pass over the top from his own half for Ivan Rakitic, who fired past Ter Stegen to give the hosts a two-goal lead over his former club.
Sevilla will now travel with a two-goal advantage to the Camp Nou to take on Barcelona in the second leg of the semi-finals.
Sevilla 2-0 Barcelona: Player Ratings
Sevilla player ratings:
Yassine Bounou 7/10
A superb performance from the 29-year-old. He made three brilliant saves against Barcelona star Lionel Messi to ensure his side kept the clean sheet and grabbed the first leg win.
Jules Kounde 8/10
Kunde put on a show as he stood his ground against a vibrant Barcelona attack. He kept Antoine Griezmann at bay the entire game and also contributed immensely to the attack as he opened the scoring for Sevilla with an excellent effort.
Aleix Vidal 6.5/10
The former Barcelona defender had a fairly quiet evening attacking wise, but went about his defensive duties diligently.
Sergio Escudero 7/10
The club captain showed his leadership qualities as he orchestrated and controlled the Sevilla defense, ensuring his side finished the game unscathed. He came close to scoring late in the first half when he fired a shot from the edge of the box, forcing the Barcelona goalkeeper to tip it over the bar.
Diego Carlos 6.5/10
Diego Carlos has a quiet night and did not make any spectacular contribution. He went about his business calmly, occasionally playing his way out of danger.
Joan Jordan 7/10
The 26-year-old was the engine at the center of the park as he completely dominated the Sevilla midfield. He showed great energy levels, covering lots of ground and winning the ball back for his teammates.
Ivan Rakitic 7.5/10
Playing against his former club, the Croatian international kept play ticking at the center of the park for Sevilla. He did well to lach on to a lofted pass from Oliver Torres and fire past Barcelona goalkeeper Ter Stegen to give Sevilla a 2-0 lead.
Fernando 7/10
The former Manchester City man played in a two-man defensive midfield pivot with Jordan and performed excellently. He limited the creativity of the Barcelona midfield as he provided extra defensive cover in midfield.
Suso 5.5/10
A lackluster performance by his standards. The Spaniard failed to make a telling contribution for the home side and was hooked off midway through the second half.
Youssef En-Nesyri 5/10
Uneventful participation from the Morocco international. He finished the game with no attempt on goal and was replaced by veteran striker Luuk de Jong.
Alejandro Gomez 6.5/10
The former Atalanta forward played on the left flank of the Sevilla attack and was a constant threat to Barcelona. He constantly probed the visitors and looked to break their defensive line and created great chances with his sublime passing.
Player ratings for the Sevilla substitutes
Munir El-Haddadi 5/10
The former Barcelona forward came on for Sergio Escudero but failed to make a telling impact in the Sevilla attack.
Luuk de Jong 5/10
The former PSV forward replaced the toothless El-Haddadi but had to drop deep as Sevilla opted for a more defensive approach to protect their lead.
Oliver Torres 7/10
The Spaniard delivered an excellent eight-minute cameo after he was substituted on for the quiet Suso. He provided the assist for Sevilla’s second goal of the night with a superb ball over the top for Rakitic to smash home.
Nemanja Guldej 5.5/10
He was brought on for defensive midfielder Joan Jordan in the 80th minute, and he injected fresh energy and provided excellent cover for the Sevilla defense
Karim Rekik 6.5/10
The defender put in a decent performance after he was brought in for Alejandro Gomez as Sevilla tightened their defense to preserve their lead in the second half.
Barcelona player ratings
Marc-Andre ter Stegen 6/10
The German goalkeeper made a vital save to deny Sevilla defender Sergio Escudero and keep Barcelona in the game. Other than that, he was beaten by the Sevilla attack with their two other shots on target.
Jordi Alba 6/10
The Spaniard was very useful both in attack and defense, constantly winning balls at the back before driving forward and putting in useful crosses.
Jordi Alba struggled to contain the Sevilla attack on few occasions, though, and was booked in the 45th minute for an argument.
Samuel Umtiti 4/10
A horrendous outing from the Frenchman, as he was at fault for both Sevilla goals. In a shaky performance, he was cheaply beaten by Kounde for the opener while also playing Rakitic onside for Sevilla’s late second.
Oscar Mingueza 5/10
The defender was in no-man's-land for Sevilla’s second goal, as he strayed out of position in search of an equalizer. He was more solid than his central defensive partner.
Junior Firpo 5.5/10
It was an assured performance from the 24-year-old, as he stood his ground against Alejandro Gomez on the right flank. He was sometimes caught in poor positions but often recovered quickly.
Sergio Busquets 5.5/10
The veteran midfielder was caught off pace as he struggled to keep up with Sevilla's midfield play. He was tidy with his passes whenever he was on the ball while winning three tackles for the visitors.
Pedri 5.5/10
Pedri struggled to link up with the frontmen as he looked lost on several occasions. He failed to put his high energy and pressing to use as he won just two of his seven ground duels attempted while making one interception. He was replaced late in the second half.
Frenkie de Jong 6/10
The Dutchman was calm on the ball as he kept play ticking in midfield for Barcelona. However, he failed to show his usual creative qualities as he was well defended by the Sevilla players.
Antoine Griezmann 5.5/10
A rather disappointing outing from the Frenchman. His only major highlight of the game was when he almost grabbed an assist when he laid a ball for Messi, who fluffed the finish. He finished with no shot attempts and faded as the game progressed.
Lionel Messi 6.5/10
Barcelona’s bright spark in a disappointing defeat, Messi single-handedly provided the visitors with an attacking threat. He had a chance to draw Barcelona level in each half, but he failed to beat Sevilla shot-stopper Bounou on both occasions.
Ousmane Dembele 5.5/10
The Frenchman was uncharacteristically quiet down the right flank of the Barcelona attack. He was beaten more often than not by the Sevilla defenders as he lost the ball a game-high 27 times.
Player ratings for the Barcelona substitutes
Riqui Puig 5/10
The youngster was brought on in the 85th minute and failed to impact the game.
Francisco Trincao N/A
A 90th-minute substitute, he barley touched the ball.
