This was one of those fixtures where every box was successfully ticked, except the finishing. Pedri’s outrageous shot from outside the box broke the deadlock in the 2nd half. Overall it was a dominant display from Barca against a defensively well-drilled Andalusian team.
Barca leapfrogged Sevilla in the league table and climbed to the 2nd spot. It seems to be a narrow victory by looking at the scoreline but indeed the performance was even more impressive than the Clasico mainly because of the defensive cohesion and the structure. The scoreline is quite misleading.
Barcelona managed to create chances and exploited Sevilla’s organized and compact defensive structure very well but failed to find the delivery of the final product most of the time.
Player Ratings by Barca News Network
Marc-Andre Ter Stegen: 8.5
The German keeper wasn’t involved in the game most of the time as Sevilla opted to sit back until the final stretch of the 2nd half. He was called into action in the dying moments of the game when Sevilla knocked on the doors several times. Sevilla came close to scoring an equalizer by pouncing on the horribly cleared cross by Ter stagen but in the end, he managed to escape from his mistake and collected the ball safely.
Ronald Araujo: 8.5
Ronald Araujo is one of the best 1v1 defenders in the world at this moment. Against Sevilla, he was rock solid in the defense and dominated every attacking threat that came his way excellently. He and Gerad Pique have not only formed an extraordinary pairing but they also complement each other almost to near perfection.
Gerad Pique: 8.5
Pique has somehow turned the years back. He is performing at the very top level. He has returned to his prime since Xavi has arrived. Pique’s on-the-ball abilities complement Araujo’s progressive limitations and they make each other even more complete.
Dani Alves: 8.5
Dani Alves was phenomenal in his new role as an inverted full-back. He compliments Busquets by joining him in the midfield and his link-up play is the key to his success in Xavi’s system. Having Ronald Araujo on his side gives him extra freedom to roam freely in the middle of the park and helps Busquets dictate the tempo of the game.
Jordi Alba: 8.5
Jordi Alba has re-discovered himself and the Spaniard is enjoying the best run of his form under Xavi. He had a decent game defensively and also created enough chances in the final third as well.
Sergio Busquets: 8.0
Sergio Busquets is a must for Xavi’s system and there is no player in this squad who can replace him. Xavi himself acknowledged him as the backbone of Barca’s midfield. “I see Busquets and he has a lot of time left. When he’s not there, Frenkie or Nico can play, but I see them as more attacking players. Today Busi is irreplaceable, fundamental for us.”
Frenkie De Jong: 8.0
Frenkie De Jong has shown a lot of improvement in the last couple of months. He was functioning excellently in controlling the tempo of the game and made some splendid runs in the 18-yard box. He will soon start to find the back of the net more often if he keeps on doing this.
Pedri: 9.5
I have no words to describe the performance of 18 years old Veteran. The wunderkind flicked his wand when Barca needed him the most. Apart from his amazing goal, he made his presence felt on the pitch whenever he received the ball. He was nominated as the Man of the Match and rightly so. He made the defenders dance as they’ve never before.
Dembele: 8.5
Dembele showed once again that as long as he’s on the pitch, he will make things happen. Beautifully ambipedal, going both ways, dynamic, fast, and unpredictable. He would’ve had a hattrick of assists if it was not up to poor finishing. He seems happy and motivated. He has also contributed defensively by tracking back and pressing well.
Aubameyang: 7.0
Sevilla were extremely compact and deep but still, Auba managed to find his isolations and great positions to create. He had a decent game in terms of linking up with the midfield and creating numerical superiority in the center of the field.
Ferran Torres: 7.5
Ferran maintained his excellent movements, yet finishing remains a subject of concern. He had an overall good game but still, there is room for improvement.
