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Having thrashed league leaders and arch-rivals Real Madrid 4-0 in their final pre-international break fixture, Barcelona hosted second-placed Sevilla at the Camp Nou in La Liga on Sunday night.
Julen Lopetegui’s men fought long and hard to keep the Blaugrana at bay but ultimately succumbed to a second-half winner by Pedri. The 1-0 win saw Barca leapfrog Sevilla into second place after matchday 29. They currently sit 12 points adrift of Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid, who have played one more game.
Barcelona started the game on the front foot in front of a packed Camp Nou. Their passing was crisp and they did not allow the Andalusians any breathing room. Barca created their first chance of the night in the eighth minute, with Ferran Torres only narrowly missing Yassine Bounou’s goal.
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Four minutes later, Frenkie de Jong popped up with an effort, latching on to a perfect Ousmane Dembele delivery. Much to the disappointment of the home fans, the Dutchman’s effort sailed narrowly over the bar.
Sevilla, too, created a couple of chances later in the first half, but Barca keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen was left untroubled. The visitors finally tested the German goalkeeper through Erik Lamela a couple of minutes into the second half. The former Tottenham Hotspur man caught the ball well, but his effort did not pack enough punch to beat the keeper.
Torres, Ronald Araujo, Pique, and Dembele all came close to finding the opener for Barcelona in the second half, but it just wouldn’t go in. Finally, in the 72nd minute, Pedri left the Sevilla defense for dead before popping up with a stunner from outside the box. The visitors tried to come up with a reply in the closing minutes but were denied by Barca’s dogged defense.
Here are the five players who stepped up to the plate to ensure a crucial win for the Blaugrana on Sunday:
#5 Frenkie de Jong
Frenkie de Jong should have done better when presented with a golden opportunity to score for Barcelona in the 12th minute. That miss aside, the central midfielder had a brilliant game.
His distribution was spot on, he was rarely outmuscled, and showed impressive vision to carve open opportunities for his teammates.
Against Lopetegui’s men, the Dutch international played 37 passes with a 100 percent accuracy, registered two key passes, and won three of his four duels.
He also completed a couple of dribbles and intercepted two passes.
#4 Jordi Alba
Barcelona’s veteran left-back Jordi Alba proved himself to be an absolute unit against Sevilla. He was quick off his line, combined brilliantly with Pedri and Ferran Torres, and was equally proficient in attack and defense.
The 33-year-old was instrumental in keeping the left-wing mobile and Lamela quiet on Sunday night.
Over the course of the night, the Barca skipper provided two key passes, won four ground duels, attempted three tackles, and had four clearances.
A solid outing by the Catalonian stalwart.
#3 Dani Alves
When Barcelona brought back Dani Alves mid-season, many called it a sentimental signing. Since the start of the year, he has proved that the transfer was tactically sound as well.
Against Sevilla, Alves proved to be rock-solid at the back while also being a handful going forward. He tirelessly chased after every ball, rarely affording the opposition any breathing room.
Against the Andalusians, the 38-year-old provided two key passes, won six ground duels, completed three of four tackles, and registered five recoveries.
#2 Pedri
Pedri is arguably the best young midfielder Barca have had since the great Andres Iniesta. The Spaniard is an excellent ball carrier, knows how to hold it up and possesses exemplary vision. The former Las Palmas man has all it takes to become one of the best midfielders on the continent.
Although not exactly known for his goals, Pedri packs a mean right foot. Last night, Sevilla, unfortunately, saw firsthand how good he could be if afforded even an inch of space.
Having received the ball from Dembele, Pedri went on to beat two Sevilla players with perfectly-executed dummies before dispatching a shot. Bounou had no way of keeping that out.
Apart from the match-winning goal, Pedri completed 52 passes with 85.2 percent accuracy and won seven ground duels while five of six long balls found their target.
A masterful performance by the youngster.
#1 Ousmane Dembele
From being an outcast on the verge of leaving to giving man-of-the-match displays every other week, Ousmane Dembele has surely come a long way under Xavi.
The former Barca midfielder has made Dembele an integral part of his team, and the Frenchman has done full justice to his coach’s faith.
On Sunday night, Dembele ran circles around the Sevilla defense, creating one chance after another. Over the course of the match, he created seven chances, won six duels, and completed three of four dribbles.
He has also been credited with the assist for Pedri’s outside-the-box strike, meaning Dembele now has eight assists in 2022. No player in the top-five leagues has more than six. What a turnaround!
