Raphinha Shines as Barcelona Defeats Sevilla 3-1
Barcelona walked into the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, fell behind early, and still walked out looking like a team that expects to win this league. A 3-1 comeback over Sevilla kept their domestic record spotless and underlined one thing above all: this is Raphinha’s team now.
Shock, response, domination
The night started badly for the visitors. In the 19th minute, Youssouf Fofana punished them, striking first for Sevilla and igniting the home crowd. For a brief moment, Barcelona looked rattled.
That moment didn’t last.
Three minutes later, Andreas Christensen split the lines with a sharp pass and Raphinha did the rest, levelling the game and instantly killing the noise around him. From there, the pattern was set. Barcelona took the ball, kept it, and refused to give it back. Sevilla chased shadows as Hansi Flick’s side dictated tempo and territory, turning an early scare into a controlled away performance.
The pressure told after the break. Raphinha, already buzzing from his first-half equaliser, took over completely. Two more goals in the second half completed his hat-trick and flipped the narrative of Barcelona’s summer in one ruthless display.
Life after Lewandowski
Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres left in the summer, taking a huge chunk of Barcelona’s goals with them. The question lingered: where would the firepower come from?
From the middle of the pitch, as it turns out.
Shifted into a central role as a number nine, Raphinha is not just coping with the responsibility, he is thriving. His treble in Seville lifted him to 12 goals in seven league matches. Across all competitions, he now stands at 14 goals and three assists in just eight games.
The numbers are outrageous. The rhythm is even more so. This was his second hat-trick in 72 hours, after he ran riot in a 7-2 demolition of Racing in the previous round. Two games, two match balls, and a clear message: Barcelona’s attack has been rebuilt around a Brazilian who looks unstoppable.
Yamal’s spark, Livakovic’s calm
Barcelona’s performance wasn’t just about the man in the middle. Out wide, Lamine Yamal tormented Sevilla’s back line and repeatedly tested Odysseas Vlachodimos. He delivered two crucial assists for Raphinha, stretching the game and giving Barcelona a constant outlet whenever Sevilla tried to push up.
At the other end, a new face brought calm. Dominik Livakovic, making his debut in goal, handled everything Sevilla threw at him. He dealt with several promising efforts and radiated assurance behind a defence that had to reorganise on the fly.
That reshuffle came when Christensen, excellent until then, limped off in the second half with a thigh problem. Even so, the back line, led by Pau Cubarsi and Eric Garcia, locked in. After Fofana’s opener, Sevilla were starved of clear chances. Barcelona squeezed the space, won their duels, and quietly strangled the game.
The home side never found a second wind. Barcelona, by contrast, looked stronger as the minutes ticked by.
Top of the table, questions for October
The win keeps Barcelona comfortably on top of La Liga with 21 points, a perfect domestic start under Flick and a growing sense of authority in their performances. The only cloud is Christensen’s fitness, which will be assessed in the coming days.
The schedule will not slow down. Getafe await on October 10 in the league, then comes a sharp turn towards Europe with a key Champions League clash against Galatasaray on October 13.
Raphinha is scoring like a superstar No 9. The defence is tightening. The system is clicking.
If this is Barcelona still in early-season gear, what happens when they truly hit full speed?
