Spanish champions Barcelona on Sunday collapsed in a shock 4-1 demolition at Sevilla in La Liga, with Alexis Sanchez scoring against his former side and Robert Lewandowski missing a penalty for the visitors.
The Catalans sit second in the table after their first league defeat of the campaign, two points behind bitter rivals Real Madrid following Los Blancos’ victory over Villarreal on Saturday, while Sevilla rise to sixth.
Real Betis Balompie moved fourth with a 2-1 win at RCD Espanyol, thanks to a stoppage-time penalty save by their goalkeeper Pau Lopez, who formerly played for the Catalans.
Photo: EPA
Atletico Madrid stumbled to a 1-1 draw at RC Celta de Vigo after having Clement Lenglet sent off in the first half and sit fifth.
Veteran Chilean winger Sanchez put Sevilla ahead from the penalty spot early on against Barca and Isaac Romero doubled the hosts’ lead after having already missed two good chances.
Marcus Rashford pulled a goal back before halftime, but Lewandowski fired wide from the penalty spot to spurn his team’s best chance of an equalizer.
Jose Carmona and Akor Adams wrapped up Sevilla’s emphatic win in the final stages, as Hansi Flick’s side fell to an unusually heavy defeat.
“The team’s first 45 minutes were horrendous. I think we’ve not played a game as bad as that and we must be self-critical,” Barca midfielder Pedri Gonzalez told the club’s media channel.
Flick defended his team despite their loss, saying that he was pleased with their reaction in the second half.
“It’s one match and we lost it, and we have to keep going,” he said.
Barcelona were still licking their wounds after Paris Saint-Germain beat them late on in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday last week, and were without injured teenage star Lamine Yamal.
“In the first half we didn’t know how to defend well or attack well,” Pedri told Movistar of his team’s sluggish display.
The rout began when Ronald Araujo clumsily grappled with Romero in the penalty area and conceded a penalty.
Sanchez dispatched it, with the 36-year-old sending Wojciech Szczesny the wrong way to fire Matias Almeyda’s side ahead.
Romero swept into the bottom corner from Ruben Vargas’ cutback for the second as Barca were opened up easily again.
Rashford was the first Barcelona player to awake from their slumber and pulled the champions back into the game deep in first-half stoppage-time, volleying home Pedri’s cross for his first La Liga goal.
Having won just one league game at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan this calendar year before Barcelona’s visit, the hosts’ nerves began to shake.
Sevilla substitute Adnan Januzaj conceded a penalty for felling Balde as he flew into the penalty area, granting Barca a golden chance to level.
Veteran Polish striker Lewandowski stuttered twice in his run-up before firing wide of the post.
Youngster Roony Bardghji could have equalized, but fired straight at the goalkeeper after Lewandowski’s flick-on sent him in on goal.
Sevilla wrapped up their win late on through fullback Carmona, who drilled a low effort past Szczesny and into the far corner, and Adams.
“I’m very happy for the victory, we needed to win at home,” Sevilla head coach Almeyda said. “We couldn’t give them a meter of space... we knew what we had to do and we’re on a good path.”
Atletico’s draw at Celta left them eight points behind leaders Real Madrid and six behind Barca.
A Carl Starfelt own-goal put Atletico ahead, before Lenglet was sent off in the 40th minute for two yellow cards.
Iago Aspas, who equaled the record for most Celta appearances, bundled home an equalizer in the second half, with the hosts on top, but unable to find a winner.
It was Celta’s sixth 1-1 draw of the season in eight league games, with the Galician side yet to win.
Atletico had won their prior three across all competitions, including a 5-2 thrashing of Real Madrid the previous weekend.
“I’m very happy with the work of my players,” said an annoyed Diego Simeone repeatedly, in answer to various questions about the game.
The head coach had shown his anger on the touchline at the decision to send off Lenglet for two fouls on Ferran Jutgla.
Promoted side Elche fell to their first defeat of the season, a 3-1 loss at Deportivo Alaves that left them seventh.
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