Barcelona's Comeback Victory Against Sevilla: Raphinha Shines
Barcelona’s perfect start to the league season survived a serious scare in Seville, and it did so on the back of a Brazilian in full flight.
At the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, Hansi Flick’s side fell behind, wrestled back control, and then simply overwhelmed Sevilla in a 3-1 comeback that felt as ruthless as it was controlled.
Early shock, instant response
The home crowd were roaring when Youssouf Fofana struck first. In the 19th minute, he punished Barcelona with the opener, giving Sevilla the start they craved and briefly rattling the league leaders.
The noise barely had time to settle.
Three minutes later, Raphinha dragged Barcelona level. Andreas Christensen split the Sevilla lines with a precise pass, and the Brazilian did the rest, burying the chance and yanking the game back onto Barcelona’s terms almost on his own.
From that moment, the pattern was set. Barcelona pinned Sevilla back, circulating the ball, dragging white shirts out of position, and peppering the final third with movement. The comeback felt less like a chase and more like an inevitability.
Raphinha, the new No. 9
This is a different Barcelona attack, rebuilt after the summer exits of Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres. Flick has handed Raphinha the central role, and the Brazilian is not just coping with the responsibility. He is devouring it.
Already the standout figure of the first half, he took complete ownership of the second.
Raphinha struck twice more after the interval to complete his hat-trick, the decisive flurry that turned a tight contest into another statement win. Those three goals took him to 12 in seven league matches, numbers that would make any classic centre-forward proud.
Across all competitions, the picture is even more staggering: 14 goals and three assists in just eight games this season. His form has gone from hot to absurd, and this night in Seville added another remarkable twist — back-to-back hat-tricks in the space of 72 hours, after his treble in the 7-2 demolition of Racing in the previous round.
Barcelona needed a new focal point. They have found one.
Yamal sparks, Livakovic settles, defence locks in
The scoreline will belong to Raphinha, but the structure behind him mattered just as much.
On the wing, Lamine Yamal tormented Sevilla’s back line. The teenager repeatedly went at Odysseas Vlachodimos’ goal, stretching the defence and forcing mistakes. Two of those surges ended with him supplying crucial assists for Raphinha, his directness and vision slicing open a tiring Sevilla side.
Behind them, Barcelona’s defensive unit quietly imposed itself. Dominik Livakovic, making his debut in goal, looked assured from the outset. He dealt with Sevilla’s most promising efforts with composure, his handling steady, his positioning sharp, exactly what a new goalkeeper needs on a tricky away night.
The backline, anchored by Pau Cubarsi and Eric Garcia, tightened the screws after Fofana’s opener. Sevilla’s clear-cut chances all but dried up as Barcelona pushed higher and squeezed the space, even when adversity struck again with Christensen forced off in the second half due to a thigh problem.
The pressure told in only one direction. Sevilla were left chasing shadows.
Top of the table, eyes on what’s next
By the final whistle, the comeback felt complete long before the scoreboard confirmed it. Barcelona’s 3-1 win keeps them perfect in La Liga, sitting comfortably on 21 points and setting the pace at the top.
Flick now faces a different kind of test: managing the fitness of key pieces like Christensen while riding this wave of form from his forwards. The schedule offers no pause. Getafe await on October 10 in the league, then comes a sharp turn toward Europe and a crucial Champions League clash with Galatasaray on October 13.
Barcelona have their striker reborn, their defence settling, and their coach’s ideas taking root. The question now is not whether they can keep winning, but how long they can sustain a level this ruthless.
