Barcelona Suffers First LaLiga Loss of the Season
In a disappointing display, Barcelona faced their first loss of the LaLiga season, suffering a significant 4-1 defeat to Sevilla at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán stadium on Sunday. The match started poorly for the Catalan club, with Alexis Sánchez scoring a penalty against his former team and Isaac Romero adding another goal, putting Sevilla ahead by two within the first 37 minutes. Just before halftime, Marcus Rashford managed to respond for Barcelona with a volley, bringing the score to 2-1.
Missed Opportunities and Late Goals
However, the hopes of a comeback were dashed when Robert Lewandowski failed to convert a penalty in the second half. Sevilla then sealed their victory with late goals from José Ángel Carmona and Akor Adams. This marks back-to-back defeats for Barcelona for the first time since December 2024, following their earlier loss to Paris Saint-Germain.
Player Reflections and Team Accountability
Pedri, the midfield dynamo, remarked on the team’s performance, labeling the first half as “dreadful” and acknowledging the lack of intensity and quality from his teammates. “We need to hold ourselves accountable and recognize when we have not played well, which was the case today. We struggled to combat their press and lacked direction in how to handle the ball,” Pedri told Barça One after the match.
The young star emphasized the urgency of improvement and the collaborative effort with coach Hansi Flick to rectify their shortcomings during the upcoming break.
Current Standings and Future Outlook
The defeat places Barcelona in second place in the LaLiga standings, now trailing Real Madrid, who secured a victory over Villarreal prior to this match. Coach Flick, despite the setback, noted the team’s improved performance in the second half, indicating a silver lining. Besides Lewandowski’s missed penalty, Barça saw substitute Roony Bardghji squander two excellent opportunities and Eric García‘s header saved following a corner kick.
Flick acknowledged the team’s difficulties in the opening half, attributing it to Sevilla’s aggressive play that left his players without effective strategies to respond, but he appreciated the effort shown in the latter part of the match. The team saw several key absences, including Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Marc-André ter Stegen, Joan García, Gavi, and Fermín López.
Looking Ahead
With the international break ahead, Barcelona is hopeful about recuperating some injured players. Flick expressed confidence in his team’s resilience, vowing to rebound when LaLiga action resumes against Girona on October 18.
“Our most critical challenge is to maintain the right attitude and spirit in the locker room. We will continue to strive for titles across all competitions — LaLiga, the Champions League, Copa del Rey, and the Supercopa,” he affirmed.
Flick remains optimistic, believing in the team’s potential and commitment to hard work moving forward.
