Sevilla Swept Aside as Champions Dominate
FC Barcelona continued their dominant start to the Liga F season with a comfortable 4-0 victory away against Sevilla.
Two matches into the new Liga F campaign have yielded two resounding victories for the club. Playing away in Seville, Barcelona maintained a firm grip on proceedings through goals from Esmee Brugts, Clàudia Pina, Marta Torrejón, and Vicky López, securing a comprehensive 4-0 scoreline. The fixture carried added significance for Romeu, who reached his century of games at the helm exactly 727 days after his debut touchline appearance—a 3-0 away win against Deportivo de la Coruña.
Reflecting on a Century of Touchline Triumphs
Reflecting on his two years leading the senior squad, Romeu has experienced both historic highs and painful lows. The milestones include a triumph in Oslo against his former coaching staff colleague Jonatan Giráldez to capture the club’s fifth UEFA Women’s Champions League title, contrasted with the difficult 1-0 defeat a year prior in Lisbon against Arsenal. Across those 100 matches, records show a remarkable return of 92 victories, three draws, and just five losses while collecting eight out of nine possible trophies.
Tactical identity remains central to Romeu’s tenure. Despite managing a relatively short squad and the absences of notable figures such as Alexia Putellas and Mapi León, the coach has consistently relied on a clear tactical framework. That philosophy was on full display in Andalusia, where Barcelona monopolized possession from the opening whistle. The breakthrough arrived when Graham Hansen carved out space down the right flank, floating a cross to the far post for Brugts—who returned to the starting lineup following a minor injury—to finish cleanly.
Vicky López Thwarts Rare Sevilla Counter
Sevilla attempted to disrupt the visitors via direct balls toward Andrea Álvarez and Laura Pérez. One such counter nearly yielded an equalizer when Álvarez broke through after Barcelona’s central defenders moved up for a corner kick. However, midfielder Vicky López tracked back with exceptional pace to pressure the attacker and prevent a clean shot on goal.
Barcelona punished that missed opportunity just before the halftime whistle. Sydney Schertenleib had previously tested Sevilla goalkeeper Sullastres, who tipped a fierce effort onto the post. In the second minute of first-half stoppage time, Graham Hansen delivered another decisive ball into the penalty area, allowing Pina to double the advantage at 0-2.
Set-Pieces and High-Pressing Seal Victory
Set-piece execution further padded the scoreline after the interval. Torrejón initially tested the Sevilla defense with a shot from the edge of the area before converting a corner kick delivered by Graham Hansen to register her first goal of the season. High-pressing principles also paid off when Ewa Pajor and López combined to rob possession deep in Sevilla’s half, with the latter beating Sullastres to net her opening goal of the campaign.
Sevilla thought they had pulled a goal back late in the match when Pérez found the net, but the effort was correctly ruled out for offside as Barcelona’s defensive line stepped up in unison.
Youth Pipeline Yields Latest Debutant
The closing stages provided a milestone for the club’s youth pipeline, as 18-year-old defender Martina González entered the match to make her official debut in the blue and garnet jersey, following earlier opportunities handed to academy prospects like Clara Serrajordi, Aïcha Camara, and Carla Julià.
