Barcelona extended its perfect La Liga start to seven matches with a hard-fought 3–1 victory over Sevilla at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán on Sunday, September 20, 2026. Led by Raphinha’s brilliant hat-trick and the creative vision of Lamine Yamal, the defending champions overcame a halftime deficit to maintain their flawless run at the summit of the Spanish top flight.
Raphinha’s Historic Hat-Trick Pushes Barcelona Past Sevilla
The fixture at the Sánchez Pizjuán proved to be Barcelona’s toughest test of the 2026/2027 season thus far, as reported by Barça Universal. Sevilla pressed with intense physicality from the opening whistle, making every possession a battle for the Catalan side. The hosts broke the deadlock in the 19th minute when Youssouf Fofana rose to head in a cross from Felix Correia, putting Sevilla ahead 1–0.
Barcelona responded swiftly. Just three minutes later, Andreas Christensen split the Sevilla defense with a precise pass, allowing Raphinha to cut inside and fire a low, accurate shot past the goalkeeper to equalize. According to match accounts from Harian Disway, the visiting side entered the interval level for the first time all season before asserting dominance in the second half.
Lamine Yamal Fuels Second-Half Surge
Renewed aggression paid off immediately after the restart. Lamine Yamal took command of the flanks, delivering two decisive assists that turned the match completely. In the 52nd minute, Yamal floated a cross into the penalty area, where Raphinha met it with a powerful header to put Barcelona ahead 2–1.
Raphinha capped his stellar afternoon in the 69th minute. Running onto a clever through-ball from Yamal, the Brazilian forward chipped the advancing Sevilla goalkeeper to secure his hat-trick. The performance lifts Raphinha’s tally to 12 goals in just seven La Liga matches this campaign—surpassing Lionel Messi’s historic club benchmark for the most goals scored in seven opening LaLiga matches.
Detailed Player Ratings from the Sánchez Pizjuán
Barça Universal provided comprehensive player evaluations for the high-intensity encounter in Andalusia, highlighting individual contributions across the pitch:
- Dominik Livakovic (7.5): Making his club debut, the Croatian goalkeeper displayed calm distribution under pressure and executed crucial reflex blocks, though he could do little to stop Fofana’s opening header.
- João Cancelo (7.5): Encountered a challenging night against Sevilla’s physical press, struggling to impose himself in the attacking third with his usual fluency.
- Andreas Christensen (8): Anchored the defensive line alongside Pau Cubarsi and provided the vital assist that unlocked Raphinha’s first goal.
- Pau Cubarsi (8): Demonstrated exceptional composure and clean distribution under intense duress as the team’s last line of defense.
- Eric García (6.5): Endured a difficult outing on the flank, finding it hard to contain Felix Correia during Sevilla’s most threatening attacking spells.
- Rodri (8.5): Stood out as Barcelona’s most unperturbed midfielder, breaking up opposition transitions and making a goal-saving block near the end of the first half.
- Pedri (8): Recovered from a sluggish opening period to dictate tempo and launch line-breaking passes after the break.
- Fermín López (7.5): Exhibited tireless off-the-ball work rate and sustained combination play under heavy pressure.
- Anthony Gordon (6.5): Worked diligently on the wing but remained relatively isolated from central build-up play.
Standings Context and Next Checkpoints
The 3–1 victory lifts Barcelona to 21 points from seven matches, preserving their flawless record at the top of the La Liga table. The squad will now turn its focus toward recovery ahead of their next domestic fixture. Official updates regarding training sessions and upcoming match preparations will be released via the club’s official media channels.
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