Barcelona Triumphs Over Sevilla: Raphinha's Hat-Trick Shines
Barcelona’s perfect league start survived its sternest test yet, and it did so in style.
At a crackling Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, Hansi Flick’s side came from behind to beat Sevilla 3-1, driven by a ruthless hat-trick from Raphinha that underlined his transformation into Barcelona’s new centrepiece in attack.
Early scare, instant response
Sevilla struck first. In the 19th minute, Youssouf Fofana punished Barcelona, putting the home side in front and sending the stadium into full voice.
The lead barely had time to settle.
Three minutes later, Andreas Christensen stepped out and sliced Sevilla open with a precise pass. Raphinha darted through, took it in his stride and buried the equaliser. Just like that, the noise inside the Sanchez Pizjuan changed. Barcelona had been stung, but they were awake.
From then on, the visitors took control. They kept the ball, dictated the rhythm and pinned Sevilla back for long stretches, turning the early shock into little more than a footnote.
Raphinha, the new No. 9
The pressure finally told after the break, and the night became all about one man.
Deployed centrally after the summer departures of Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres, Raphinha looked every inch a natural number nine. He added two more goals in the second half to complete his hat-trick, shredding Sevilla’s resistance and silencing the home crowd.
His numbers are starting to look absurd. This treble takes him to 12 goals in seven league matches, and across all competitions he now sits on 14 goals and three assists in just eight games. Even more striking: these were back-to-back hat-tricks, coming only 72 hours after his first, in the 7-2 demolition of Racing.
Barcelona needed a new reference point up front. They’ve found one.
Yamal’s spark and a new-look spine
Raphinha took the headlines, but he did not do it alone.
On the right, Lamine Yamal tormented Sevilla all evening. The winger repeatedly drove at Odysseas Vlachodimos’s goal and delivered two crucial assists for Raphinha, stretching the defence and opening the spaces that Barcelona’s new striker thrived in.
Behind them, the structure held firm. Pau Cubarsi and Eric Garcia marshalled the backline with composure, choking off Sevilla’s threat after Fofana’s opener and allowing only a handful of half-chances.
Dominik Livakovic, making his debut in goal, looked assured. He handled Sevilla’s best efforts cleanly and radiated calm as Barcelona tightened their grip on the match.
The only blemish for Flick came with Christensen’s thigh injury in the second half. He had been central to Barcelona’s early dominance in possession, and his fitness now becomes a short-term concern.
Top of the table, bigger tests ahead
The comeback win keeps Barcelona perfect in La Liga, sitting comfortably on 21 points and setting the pace at the top of the table. Flick’s team look balanced, dangerous and increasingly ruthless, with a forward who cannot stop scoring and a defence that is beginning to look settled despite the knocks.
Now comes the next phase.
Flick will use the coming days to assess Christensen and fine-tune a side that suddenly looks packed with form players. Getafe await on October 10 in the league, before attention swings to Europe and a pivotal Champions League clash with Galatasaray on October 13.
Barcelona have their new spearhead. The question now is how far this version of them can run with it.
