Copa Del Rey
Barcelona Batter Sevilla to Complete Aggregate Comeback
Barcelona ran riot at the Camp Nou and put six goals past Sevilla to ensure their place in the Copa Del Rey semis for the 9th consecutive season. After a 2-0 defeat in Seville, Barcelona had a tricky task on their hands. Ernesto Valverde however, fielded his strongest lineup and it paid off. A solid performance from the whole team put an end to all doubts in the minds of fans and critics. The final aggregate score was 6-3. Despite the one Sevilla away goal, Barcelona never looked out of place. They were in control from start to finish.
Solid Midfield Display
Barcelona’s midfield put in an absolute shift and controlled the game masterfully. Arthur Melo, who was also Barça’s standout performer in the first leg, once again showed his terrific ability. He was impressive throughout, shielding the ball and providing just the right passes. He capped it off with a terrific assist to Ivan Rakitic who also played very well alongside the ever-present Sergio Busquets.
Clinical Attack
With a strike force as capable as Barcelona’s, they are expected to score a handful of goals every game. Yesterday they showed exactly why. Each one of the front 3 scored and/or assisted a goal. Luis Suarez out up an impressive display with a goal and an assist. His link-up play was also great as it almost always is. Leo Messi was mercurial as always. The captain led from the front. First, he earned and gave the penalty to Philippe Coutinho for the opener. In the second half he went on a typically mazy run, skipped past 3 defenders and slid the ball to Sergi Roberto who finished incisively. To cap it off he finished off a beautiful team move for the 6th and final goal. A goal that was reminiscent of the old Barcelona side with devastatingly quick passing and movement.
Rejuvenated Coutinho
It is no secret that Coutinho has not been in the best of form lately. However, he really came into his own against Sevilla. Thanks to Messi he took and scored the penalty to make it 1-0 to Barça . That goal seemed to really ignite a spark within him. He constantly got into good positions, did the simple things correctly. He even scored a great header for his second and Barça’s third goal of the night.
Cillessen Heroics and Stark Defending
Jasper Cillessen always seems to shine whenever he plays for Barça. He showed that once again he is very reliable between the sticks. After going one-nil up Barcelona conceded a penalty in the 27th minute. Ever Banega stepped up to take it. However, Cillessen made a terrific save to keep him out. Had Sevilla scored that penalty, the complexion of the game could have been completely different. Although he did make an error that led to Sevilla’s only goal he more than made up for it throughout the 90 minutes.
The defenders also showed tremendous resilience and kept Sevilla at bay whenever needed. They also made vital contributions in attack. Roberto scored the fourth goal with a laser-guided finish. Jordi Alba once again flew up the pitch to assist goals 5 and 6. Gerard Pique also played a vital part in the 6th goal with a great flick to Suarez. Clement Lenglet was like a rock at the back and continued his good form with another good showing at the back.
Overall, FC Barcelona completed another famous “Remontada” at the Camp Nou and kept their hunt for another Copa Del Rey trophy alive. If they continue this kind of form throughout all competitions, they will truly be a team to fear.
Follow us on YouTube and Twitter
Photo credit to Barcelona via Twitter
