:quality(75)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/elcomercio/VFTU6GDKSRAC5EH2CW2ATKQX3Y.jpg)
Deadly counterattack for Raphinha to open the scoring in Barcelona vs. Sevilla for the fourth round of LaLiga Santander. Xavi Hernández's team recovered the ball and caused havoc in the home team's backline at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán stadium. In this way, the Brazilian added with his head to celebrate the 1-0.
The Andalusian team tried to advance on the field of the Catalans, but Gavi and Sergio Busquets recovered the ball. In fact, the historic midfielder of the blue and maroons filtered a forward pass for Ousmane Dembélé to take advantage of all the space left by Julen Lopetegui's team.
When the Frenchman was in front of Sevilla's last central defender, he opened up on the wing with Robert Lewandowski. The Polish player chipped the ball over goalkeeper Bono. The ball was about to go into the goal, but Fernando's saving leg prevented the goal.
However, the ball ended up near Raphinha. The Brazilian headed the ball, which Tanguy Nianzou, the defender, couldn't redirect. Thus, in this way, the former Leeds United player scored the first goal of the match for Barcelona.
The trajectories of both teams are, so far, completely divergent since Barcelona, despite their stumble by drawing at home against Rayo in the first round, then defeated Real Sociedad (4-1) and Valladolid (4-0), which contrasts with the disastrous start of a Sevilla full of doubts with only one point out of nine possible.
The new Barcelona led by Xavi Hernández faces its first real test at the stadium of a top-level rival, despite their poor start, after closing the signings of Marcos Alonso and Héctor Bellerín on the last day of the transfer market, as well as the departures of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Martin Braithwaite, Sergiño Dest, and Ez Abde.
The urgency for Sevilla, who will host Manchester City in the Champions League three days later, is at its maximum. With defensive problems due to the continued injury of one of their signings, the Brazilian Marcao, and the almost certain absence due to discomfort of the Dutch Karim Rekik - one of their few central defenders, they are in fifteenth place with two defeats (2-1 against Osasuna and Almería) interspersed with a draw at home against Valladolid (1-1).