Sevilla thrash Barcelona 4-1 despite Rashford’s goal

Barcelona’s struggles continued on Sunday night as they suffered a humiliating 4-1 defeat to Sevilla at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán, despite a first-half goal from Marcus Rashford.

The result marks Barcelona’s second consecutive loss in La Liga and raises further questions about Hansi Flick’s side heading into the international break.

Sevilla started the game in explosive fashion, taking the lead in the 13th minute through Alejandro Sánchez, who converted from the penalty spot after a clumsy challenge in the box. 

The home crowd roared again in the 36th minute when Isaac Romero doubled their advantage, finishing off a sharp counterattack from a Ruben Vargas assist. Barcelona looked rattled and lacked control for much of the half.

Just before the interval, however, Pedri found Rashford with a clever through-ball, and the English winger calmly slotted home in first-half stoppage time to give Barça a lifeline. 

That goal seemed to lift the visitors’ confidence, and they started the second half on the front foot, pressing Sevilla deeper into their own half and creating several half-chances.

The turning point came in the 57th minute when Robert Lewandowski squandered a crucial penalty, firing wide of the post. 

It was the Polish striker’s third miss from his last ten attempts from the spot. Moments later, Roony Bardghji, who replaced Ferran Torres, missed two golden opportunities to equalise, chances that would come back to haunt the Catalan giants.

Sevilla weathered the storm and finished the match in stunning fashion. With Barcelona pushing forward desperately, José Ángel Carmona struck in the 90th minute with a precise shot into the bottom corner to make it 3-1. 

Then, deep into injury time, Nigerian forward Akor Adams sealed the victory, tapping in from Chidera Ejuke’s cross to complete the rout and send the Seville crowd into delirium.

The emphatic win lifts Sevilla from 10th to 4th in the La Liga table, propelling them into the Champions League qualification spots. 

Barcelona, meanwhile, remain in 2nd place, two points behind Real Madrid, but the mood around the club is tense. To make matters worse, Rashford appeared to suffer a foot injury late in the match, making him a potential doubt for England’s upcoming fixtures.