- Fermin Lopez’s Impact: Scored with his first touch but was later sent off after a VAR review.
- Barcelona Capitalize: Victory reduces the gap to Real Madrid to just two points.
- Late Drama: Raphinha and Eric Garcia seal a convincing win despite Sevilla’s strong fight.
Fermin Lopez experienced a dramatic 15-minute spell, scoring and then receiving a red card, as Barcelona secured an impressive victory over Sevilla to close the gap on Real Madrid to just two points at the top of La Liga.
Robert Lewandowski opened the scoring in the seventh minute, reacting quickly to prod home Iñigo Martínez’s header for his 19th goal of the season.
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However, Sevilla responded immediately, with Ruben Vargas latching onto a pass from former Barcelona midfielder Saúl Ñíguez before firing into the net.
Lopez made an instant impact after coming off the bench at halftime, heading home his first touch to put Barcelona ahead. But his night took a dramatic turn when a VAR review led to a straight red card for a knee-high challenge on Djibril Sow.
Sevilla thought they had equalized soon after, but Vargas’ goal was ruled out for offside. Their appeals for a penalty, following a collision between Sow and Jules Koundé, were also dismissed.
Barcelona extended their lead with a stunning right-footed strike from Raphinha before Lopez’s dismissal, and Eric García sealed the win by heading in at the back post late on.
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The victory allowed Hansi Flick’s side to capitalize on dropped points by Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid, who played out a 1-1 draw in their city derby.
Up next, Barcelona will host sixth-placed Rayo Vallecano on Monday, 17 February, while 13th-placed Sevilla travel to Valladolid a day earlier.
