Raphinha Shines as Barcelona Overcomes Sevilla in La Liga
Barcelona’s perfect league start survived its sternest test yet, and it did so with style, noise and a new No 9 tearing up the script.
Raphinha rips it up in Seville
At the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán, Sevilla struck first. Youssouf Fofana punished Barcelona in the 19th minute, finishing a move that briefly ignited the home crowd and hinted at an uncomfortable night for Hansi Flick’s side.
The response was ruthless.
Three minutes later, Andreas Christensen split the Sevilla lines with a sharp pass. Raphinha timed his run, took the ball in stride and buried the equaliser. One punch, then another. The early wobble was gone.
From that moment, Barcelona took the game by the throat. They monopolised the ball, pinned Sevilla back and turned the contest into a one-sided siege. The hosts chased shadows; Barcelona chased goals.
The pressure finally told after the break, and again it was Raphinha who delivered. Operating through the middle, he found space where there shouldn’t have been any, finished twice more and walked off with the match ball. A hat-trick away at Sevilla, and a statement that echoed well beyond Andalusia.
By full time, his numbers bordered on outrageous. Twelve league goals in seven appearances. Fourteen in eight across all competitions, with three assists on top. Two hat-tricks in 72 hours, the first coming in the 7-2 demolition of Racing in the previous round. This is not just form; it is domination.
A new No 9, a new backbone
Barcelona lost Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres in the summer. On paper, that was a gaping hole through the middle of their attack. On the pitch, Raphinha has turned it into an opportunity.
Shifted centrally into a pure No 9 role, the Brazilian has not just adapted; he has thrived. His movement keeps centre-backs guessing, his finishing has gone cold-blooded, and his understanding with the wide players is growing by the week.
Lamine Yamal, flying down the flank, played the perfect foil in Seville. He repeatedly isolated his full-back, drove at Odysseas Vlachodimos’ goal and supplied two key assists for Raphinha. Every time he received the ball, Sevilla’s backline braced for impact.
Yet this wasn’t just an attacking exhibition. Flick’s team showed a harder edge when it mattered.
Dominik Livakovic, making his debut in goal, looked like he had been there for months. He handled Sevilla’s best openings with calm hands and sharp positioning, cutting out any hope of a late surge. In front of him, Pau Cubarsí and Eric Garcia took control after the early setback, tightening up and denying Sevilla clear looks at goal.
Barcelona even absorbed a setback when Christensen went off in the second half with a thigh problem. The structure held. The line stayed high. Sevilla’s threat faded.
By the end, the home crowd had been quietened and the match felt like a routine away win, despite the early scare.
Top of the table, eyes on what’s next
The 3-1 victory keeps Barcelona flawless in La Liga, sitting comfortably on 21 points and setting the pace at the top. The performance in Seville did more than protect a record; it underlined a team growing in authority, with a new attacking reference point and a defence that looks increasingly sure of itself.
Flick now turns to the treatment room to assess Christensen’s thigh and to the training ground to fine-tune a side that suddenly looks relentless. Getafe await on October 10 in the league. Three days later, Galatasaray arrive in the Champions League for a clash that will test whether this early-season surge can carry onto the European stage.
If Raphinha keeps firing like this, and the spine behind him stays this firm, how long can anyone keep Barcelona within reach?
