La Liga returned to the Estadi Olímpic this Sunday as Barcelona resumed their strong performance following the international break, securing a stylish victory over Sevilla, a traditional powerhouse in Spanish football. The Catalans maintained their three-point lead at the top of the table ahead of their much-anticipated El Clásico clash against Real Madrid next weekend.
Robert Lewandowski scored twice, bringing his season total to an impressive 12 goals, while Pedri added another brilliant finish. Although the scoring slowed in the second half, young Pablo Torre found the net twice, culminating in a spectacular five-goal performance.
Barcelona faced a setback when Eric Garcia was injured in the warm-up and had to withdraw from the squad. However, the return of Fermín López from injury was a highlight, and the loudest cheer of the evening came in the 82nd minute when Gavi made his long-awaited return to the midfield after nearly a year out due to a serious knee injury, earning a heartfelt ovation from fans.
The scoring began in the 24th minute when Lewandowski converted a penalty after Raphinha was fouled. After a promising start from Sevilla, Barcelona took control of the match, leading 3-0 by halftime. Pedri scored the second goal following a swift counterattack led by Lamine Yamal, and Lewandowski redirected Raphinha’s shot into the net for the third.
In the second half, although Sevilla managed to get a late consolation goal from Stanis Idumbo, they never posed a serious threat to stage a comeback. Barcelona continued to press for goals, and Torre netted his first in the 82nd minute before scoring again with a free kick that was initially thought to have been touched by a teammate in an offside position, but replays showed otherwise.
The final score of 5-1 marked Barcelona’s sixth consecutive victory over Sevilla and extended their unbeaten streak against the Andalusian side to 18 matches. The team is in excellent form as they prepare for critical upcoming matches against Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.