Raphinha Stars as Barcelona Defeats Sevilla to Maintain Perfect Record

Barcelona had to dig deep in Seville, but they walked out of the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan with their perfect La Liga record intact and a statement performance from their new spearhead.

Raphinha, recast as a central striker after the summer departures of Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres, hit a ruthless hat-trick in a 3-1 comeback win over Sevilla – his second treble in just 72 hours – as Hansi Flick’s side turned a shaky night into a seventh straight league victory.

Raphinha the No 9, and a slow-burning start

For the first 20 minutes, Barcelona looked anything but top of the table. Sevilla snapped into duels, pressed high and were rewarded when Youssouf Fofana struck in the 19th minute, punishing a hesitant visiting defence to give the hosts a deserved lead.

The advantage barely had time to settle.

Three minutes later, Andreas Christensen split the Sevilla back line with a precise pass and Raphinha, alive to the opening, levelled with the conviction of a born finisher. One touch, one chance, one goal. Barcelona were back in it, even if their play still lacked control.

The Brazilian’s movement through the middle, rather than from the flank, kept dragging Sevilla’s centre-backs into uncomfortable areas. Barcelona, though, went into the break knowing they had been second-best for long spells and would need a sharper, more aggressive second half.

Yamal the creator, Raphinha the executioner

After the interval, the dynamic changed. Barcelona tightened up, pushed higher and began to pin Sevilla back. The pressure finally told, and the partnership that has lit up Flick’s early weeks took over the night.

Lamine Yamal twice found Raphinha with the kind of service every striker craves. First, the teenager slipped him through to complete the turnaround. Then, with Sevilla chasing, Yamal again teed up the Brazilian, who finished clinically to complete his hat-trick and move to 14 goals in all competitions this season.

Sevilla, so lively early on, were gradually suffocated. Pau Cubarsi and Eric Garcia grew into the game, closing spaces, winning duels and starving the hosts of clear chances as Barcelona closed the door on any late drama.

Livakovic’s debut and Flick’s gut call

Behind them, Dominik Livakovic enjoyed the sort of debut every goalkeeper wants: solid, assured, and decisive when required. His handling was clean, his positioning calm, and he exuded a composure that spread through the back line.

The real intrigue came before kick-off. Flick had hinted that Wojciech Szczesny was effectively his No 2, yet when the team sheet dropped, it was Livakovic who got the nod. The decision raised eyebrows, but the coach was clear afterwards: this was instinct.

“As you know, sometimes it’s not only about analysing everything. Sometimes it’s also about the feeling,” Flick said via SPORT. “I think my feeling today was like this, so I spoke with the coaches and then we made this decision. So it’s about the feeling. It doesn’t mean that we analysed it and decided that we don’t believe in Szczesny or anything like that. But for me, today, I think this was the right decision.”

He stressed that there is no fixed pecking order in goal.

“He was good. But in the end, it’s a decision I made, you know. I said that before, of course. Sometimes you see a player and you feel that this player might perhaps be the first option in this position, and you make a different decision. That’s what happened. It’s not such a big thing. This decision is only for this match.”

On this evidence, Livakovic has already planted a flag in the battle for the gloves.

The weight of a loaded bench

Barcelona sit top of La Liga with 21 points from seven games, perfect on paper and purring in attack. Beneath that surface, Flick is juggling a different kind of pressure: the kind that comes with leaving stars out.

“In the end, to be honest with you, for me this is the hardest thing at the moment. I know everyone can be happy because we have enormous quality in the squad. But for me it’s not easy,” he admitted.

“When I look at the bench and see that Gavi won’t play, Xavi [Espart] can’t play, [Jules] Kounde can’t play, Szczesny can’t play, it’s not easy.

“It’s not easy for me either because I’m close to everyone, I’m with everyone, and still I have to make these decisions. In the end, that’s how it is. I’m always thinking about the team. There is nothing personal. It’s about the team. That’s why we made this decision. In the end, yes, that’s my job. But it’s not easy at the moment.”

Barcelona left Seville with three more points, another comeback, and a new hero through the middle. The question now is not whether they can score or win – it’s how long Flick can keep this star-studded dressing room satisfied while the victories keep piling up.