What a night for Barcelona. The Catalans made a remarkable comeback to progress into the Copa del Rey finals and they completely deserve it.
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The Blaugrana were hungry for the win and their determination could be seen from the get-go. However, while it was celebrations and jubilation for Ronald Koeman and his team, it was heartbreak for all Sevilla fans.
The club let them down by squandering an important 2-0 lead. This is their second defeat to Barcelona within a week and Julen Lopetegui will have to answer a lot of questions as he was bested by Koeman’s tactics yet again.
The victory means that that there is still a chance of the Dutch manager to lift a silverware in his debut season, and winning trophies will also help them to convince Lionel Messi to stay on at the club.
This was a very important game for the Catalans and they came out of it unscathed. They could go on to face either Athletic Club or Levante in the finals and although they are the favorites, they should not underestimate their opponents.
However, it is time to look at the five talking points from the game and analyze where Barca went right and where they could use some more improvement.
#1 Barcelona were by far the more dominant side in the match
Going into the game, Barca fans were worried. Their team had just pulled off a 2-0 win against Sevilla a few days ago but they also suffered from a dip in form before that where Sevilla managed to beat them 2-0. The Catalans looked out of form in the first leg and their opponents capitalized on their lack of determination.
Things were different this time around, however. Barcelona were on top of the game from the first minute and made a few good chances to go ahead early in the game. They continuously asked questions from the Sevilla defense and their opponents were forced to defend in number throughout the game.
Although their lack of finishing almost cost them the game, they were able to find the equalizing goal seconds before the final whistle. This showed everyone that the Catalans never gave up and always believed that they were the better team. The difference in class was quite noticeable tonight and it is a wonder how the Catalan Kings were not able to bury the match earlier.
#2 Ousmane Dembele shines once again
Ousmane Dembele scored against Sevilla last week and and now he has once again scored to take Barcelona through to the finals. The French superstar looked bright and determined to help his team and help he did. He had a great game and was running up and down the pitch. The ex-Dortmund player opened the scoring with a fantastic outside-the-box shot.
His powerful effort saw the ball fly into the top corner of the net and Tomas Vaclik could do nothing but watch. Although it seemed like the player should have gotten himself on the scoresheet a few more times, the opening goal is always important and his early strike gave the Catalans the hope they needed to carry on.
Dembele was not the only big signing who helped Barcelona conquer Sevilla, Antoine Griezman also helped out even though he did not start the match. His last-minute cross landed perfectly for Gerard Pique who scored the equalizing goal with his head in the 94th minute.
#3 Pedri performs well for Koeman yet again
One of Koeman’s biggest achievements this season has to be his discovery of Pedri. The 18-year-old midfielder has been a fundamental part of Barcelona’s team this season. He has already played more than 35 games for the Catalans this season and he featured last night against Sevilla as well.
The midfielder was in doubt for the game as he had suffered from a calf injury during his last match and was thought to be out for at least two weeks. However, he miraculously recovered and was good to go again in a matter of just three days. The youngster performed quite well and he found some important passes.
His vision almost created another goal when he set Dembele through on goal but the French player could not keep his shot on target. Pedri has already impressed the club a lot and he can only go on to improve. He is a gem who must be protected by the club.
#4 Super Ter Stegen gives us a super performance
Playing at Barcelona cannot be easy, the club has an incredible legacy and along with that, the team also boasts the best player in the world, Messi. Playing alongside the Argentine often overshadows the others however, one star who gave his very best yesterday and garnered a lot of attention was Marc Andre Ter Stegen.
The super goalie from Germany put on a great performance and controlled his backline thoroughly. He made a few good saves and punched outcrosses however, the big moment came in the 73rd minute when Oscar Mingueza gave away a silly penalty to Sevilla.
Ter Stegen, however, had nerves of steel and did not look bothered at all. He read Lucas Ocampos’ mind and made the all-important save. He once again proved why he has been Barcelona’s number one for so many years and without him, the club would not have been able to reach the finals.
#5 Barcelona really need a striker to finish off games early
When Luis Suarez was released, the club was left without a super striker. Last night it was evidently clear that the Catalans lacked a goal scorer. Dembele did score with a super strike from a distance however, he was not able to finish off clear chances.
Messi dropped back to play a more controlling role and his closest chance was cleared off the line. Even Jordi Alba came close when his shot thundered against the crossbar. However, the game should have been secured long ago. In the fourth minute, Sergino Dest squared a beautiful ball for Frenkie de Jong to finish however, he is not a striker and lacks that instinct and thus was not able to convert.
The Catalans kept creating chances but they lacked the clinical finishing that is expected of them. Next season Koeman must bring in a number nine who will finish the easy chances and secure the match long before the full-time whistle.
Do you think Barcelona can win the Copa del Rey this season?