The Japan Times - Sevilla rout 'horrendous' Barca in Liga thrashing

The Catalans sit second in the table after their first defeat of the campaign, two points behind bitter rivals Real Madrid following Los Blancos' victory over Villarreal on Saturday, while Sevilla rise provisionally to fourth.

Veteran Chilean winger Sanchez sent Sevilla ahead from the penalty spot early on and Isaac Romero doubled the hosts' lead after having already missed two good chances.

Marcus Rashford pulled a goal back for Barcelona before half-time, but Lewandowski fired wide from the spot to spurn his team's best chance of an equaliser.

Jose Carmona and Akor Adams wrapped up Sevilla's emphatic win in the final stages, as Hansi Flick's side fell to an unusually heavy defeat.

"The team's first 45 minutes were horrendous, I think we've not played a game as bad as that and we must be self-critical," Barca midfielder Pedri Gonzalez told the club's media channel.

Flick defended his team despite their loss, saying he was pleased with their reaction in the second half.

"I know that we have to analyse (everything), especially in the first half... but in the second, for me to see the reaction of the team and them fighting was good to see," Flick told reporters.

"It's one match and we lost it, and we have to keep going on."

Barcelona were still licking their wounds after Paris Saint-Germain beat them late on in the Champions League on Wednesday, and were without injured teenage star Lamine Yamal.

The Catalans were sluggish and although Sevilla have a weaker squad compared to their peak years in the early part of this century, the hosts' energy was enough to pull Flick's disorganised team apart.

"In the first half we didn't know how to defend well or attack well," Pedri told Movistar.

It started when Ronald Araujo clumsily grappled with Romero in the box and a penalty was awarded as the striker gratefully hit the deck.

Sanchez dispatched it, with the 36-year-old sending Wojciech Szczesny the wrong way to fire Matias Almeyda's side ahead.

Romero missed two big chances, first denied by Szczesny and then skewing wide after Lucien Agoume's neat cross set him up.

The striker made no mistake next time though, sweeping into the bottom corner from Ruben Vargas' cutback as Barca were opened up again.

Rashford was the first Barcelona player to awake from their slumber, forcing a save at his near post from Sevilla goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos.

The England international pulled the champions back into the game deep in first-half stoppage time, volleying home Pedri's cross for his first La Liga goal.

Flick took off Araujo and Gerard Martin for Eric Garcia and Alejandro Balde at the interval, trying to shake up his team after their poor first-half display.

- Lewandowski penalty woe -

Szczesny made a fine save with his legs to thwart Djibril Sow early in the second half as Sevilla continued to take the initiative.

However, having won just one league game at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan in 2025 before Barcelona's visit, the hosts' nerves began to shake.

Sevilla substitute Adnan Januzaj conceded a penalty for felling Balde as he flew into the box, granting Barca a golden chance to level.

Veteran Polish striker Lewandowski stuttered twice in his run-up before firing wide of the post.

Youngster Roony Bardghji could have equalised but fired straight at the goalkeeper after Lewandowski's flick-on sent him in on goal, while Rashford was also ready to pounce if the winger had passed.

Sevilla wrapped up their win late on through full-back Carmona, who drilled a low effort past Szczesny and into the far corner, and Adams.

"I'm very happy for the victory, we needed to win at home," said Sevilla coach Almeyda.

"We couldn't give them a metre of space... we knew what we had to do and we're on a good path."

H.Takahashi--JT