Mueez Ajao
– Barcelona moved up to second in La Liga after maintaining their unbeaten start to the season with victory at Sevilla.
– Raphinha was in the right place to head home his first Barcelona goal following his £60m summer move from Leeds.
– The visitors doubled their lead before half-time when Robert Lewandowski took the ball on his chest and volleyed in for his fifth goal of the campaign.
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– Former Manchester City defender Erik Garcia nodded in the third, as Julen Lopetegui’s Sevilla remain winless.
– Sevilla’s wretched run against Barca continued, now winning just one of their last 31 league games against their opponents, a run which stretches back to the 2007-08 season.
– The home supporters expressed their dissatisfaction at full-time with loud jeers as their side have just one point from their opening four league games.
– Former Leeds winger Raphinha set Barca on their way with an opportunistic header after Lewandowski’s dinked effort was cleared off the line.
– The Brazil international almost scored a quickfire second but his curling strike drifted narrowly over.
– Fellow summer signing Jules Kounde, playing against his old club after a £42m move, could have scored in the first half, but mistimed his header from six yards out.
– But the France international did provide the assist for the next two goals – a superb, raking pass finished off by Lewandowski while centre-back Garcia headed in from Kounde’s nod back.
FULL TIME! #SevillaBarça pic.twitter.com/61qUYjQhhR
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) September 3, 2022
– Barca are two points behind champions Real Madrid, who kept up their 100% winning start with a 2-1 victory over Real Betis.
A view of the top six after a '𝙎𝙪𝙥𝙚𝙧 𝙎𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙙𝙖𝙮' of #LaLigaSantander action! 📌 pic.twitter.com/7AIn5gAU6g
— LaLiga English (@LaLigaEN) September 3, 2022
– Xavi’s men are back in action on Wednesday, when they begin their Champions League campaign against Viktoria Plzen.
– Sevilla, meanwhile, were made to pay for their missed chances as Ivan Rakitic’s effort was cleared off the line by Ronald Araujo and Youssef En-Nesyri’s low shot tipped was wide by Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
