Sevilla 1–3 Barcelona: How Barcelona Turned the Game Around
Barcelona came from behind to beat Sevilla 3–1 on September 19, 2026, turning a difficult opening into a convincing second-half victory.
Sevilla took the lead in the 19th minute when Youssouf Fofana headed home from Felix Correia's long pass.
But Barcelona responded almost immediately.
Raphinha equalised in the 22nd minute with a precise finish from the edge of the box, and the momentum gradually shifted toward the visitors.
After halftime, Barcelona became increasingly dangerous.
Raphinha scored his second in the 52nd minute after being found by Lamine Yamal, before Raphinha returned the favour in the 69th minute by helping create the situation for Yamal to find him again.
This time, Raphinha chipped the goalkeeper to make it 3–1.
Sevilla continued to compete, but Barcelona's control of possession, attacking combinations and ability to create chances around the penalty area eventually proved decisive.
So, how did Barcelona recover after conceding first?
And why did Sevilla struggle to protect their early advantage?
Welcome to MatchWhy, where we don't just tell you the score — we explain why.
Barcelona Started With the Ball
From the opening minutes, Barcelona attempted to establish control through possession.
The visitors exchanged short passes and tried to move Sevilla's defensive shape from side to side.
In the third minute, Barcelona were already circulating the ball and looking for openings.
Raphinha then attempted to deliver a cross into the penalty area, although it failed to find a teammate.
At six minutes, Lamine Yamal tried to create something individually but was stopped by a Sevilla defender.
A minute later, another Yamal attempt was blocked.
Then came the first major warning.
8' — Yamal Hits the Post
Lamine Yamal received the ball in a dangerous position and produced a long-range effort.
The shot beat the goalkeeper but struck the left post.
Barcelona had not scored, but they had already demonstrated an important part of their attacking strategy:
get the ball to Yamal around the edge of the box and allow him to attack defenders or shoot.
Barcelona's early attacking pattern
SEVILLA BOX
┌──────────────────┐
│ │
│ YAMAL ● │
│ ↘ │
│ ↘ SHOT │
│ ⚽ │
│ POST │
└──────────────────┘
↑
BARCELONA PASSING
Yamal's ability to receive between the lines was already causing problems.
Sevilla Find Their Way Into the Match
Barcelona had started strongly, but Sevilla gradually became more comfortable.
At nine minutes, Sevilla enjoyed a spell of possession.
They exchanged passes and waited for spaces to appear.
Barcelona still had the larger share of the ball — the possession figure at 14 minutes was 46:54 — but Sevilla were beginning to find ways of attacking when they recovered possession.
At 17 minutes, Barcelona committed a foul.
Two minutes later, Sevilla punished them.
19' — Sevilla Take the Lead
Felix Correia delivered a long, raking pass toward the penalty area.
Youssouf Fofana attacked the ball.
The Sevilla midfielder connected with the delivery and headed into the top-left corner.
Sevilla 1–0 Barcelona.
It was a direct attack.
Barcelona had been controlling possession, but Sevilla showed that they did not necessarily need long spells of the ball to create danger.
Sevilla's opening goal
SEVILLA
CORREIA
│
│ LONG PASS
▼
FOFANA ●
│
↓
HEADER
↓
⚽ 1–0
The goal presented Barcelona with an immediate test.
Would they become frustrated?
Or would they continue playing their game?
Their response answered that question very quickly.
22' — Raphinha Responds
Only three minutes after Sevilla took the lead, Barcelona found their equaliser.
Raphinha controlled a clever pass around the edge of the penalty area.
He took an excellent first touch.
Then he drilled the ball into the bottom-right corner.
Sevilla 1–1 Barcelona.
The response was exactly what Barcelona needed.
Instead of allowing Sevilla's goal to change their approach, Barcelona immediately went back to attacking.
Barcelona's equaliser
SEVILLA DEFENCE
┌───────────────┐
│ │
│ RAPHINHA ● │
│ ↘ │
│ ↘ │
│ ⚽ │
└───────────────┘
↑
KILLER PASS
The equaliser restored the balance of the match.
But it also exposed something important.
Barcelona were finding space around the edge of Sevilla's penalty area.
Barcelona's Possession Starts to Matter
At 16 minutes, Barcelona were already exchanging precise passes.
After the equaliser, that passing became increasingly important.
The visitors did not need to force every attack.
They could circulate the ball, move Sevilla's defensive players and wait for the next opening.
At 26 minutes, Barcelona produced another neat passing move to create an attacking opportunity.
At 37 minutes, they again controlled the tempo through short passes.
This was one of the defining features of the match.
Barcelona's possession structure
BARCELONA
● ●
\ /
\ /
●
/ \
● ●
\ /
●
↓
FINAL THIRD
↓
YAMAL / RAPHINHA
Barcelona were constantly trying to create receiving positions between Sevilla's midfield and defence.
Sevilla Still Had Opportunities
Barcelona's control did not mean Sevilla stopped attacking.
The home side continued to look for opportunities through direct passes and crosses.
At 40 minutes, Giorgi Kochorashvili received an excellent cross inside the box and attempted a header.
The ball sailed over the bar.
Two minutes later, Youssouf Fofana received a lofted pass and shot from around the penalty spot.
His effort went narrowly wide.
Those chances mattered.
Sevilla had opportunities to restore their lead before halftime.
But they could not finish them.
Sevilla's chances
40' KOCHORASHVILI
↓
HEADER
↓
WIDE
42' FOFANA
↓
SHOT
↓
JUST WIDE
Barcelona therefore went into halftime level.
Half-Time: Sevilla 1–1 Barcelona
The first half had produced a fascinating tactical contrast.
Sevilla had scored through a direct attack.
Barcelona had responded through combination play and a precise finish from Raphinha.
The visitors were also beginning to generate more dangerous moments around the box.
The second half would reveal which approach could produce the greater reward.
Barcelona Increase the Pressure After the Break
Barcelona came out with renewed intensity.
At 46 minutes, Yamal sent a cross toward the penalty area, although Sevilla's organised defence cleared it.
Then Yamal started finding even more space.
At 47 minutes, he received a short pass around the edge of the box and attempted a shot.
The ball went narrowly past the left post.
A minute later, Yamal produced another mid-range effort.
Again, the attempt narrowly missed.
Barcelona were now repeatedly getting Yamal into dangerous shooting positions.
Yamal's second-half influence
SEVILLA BOX
┌──────────────────┐
│ │
│ YAMAL ● │
│ ↙ ↘ │
│ SHOT PASS │
│ ↘ ↓ │
└──────────────────┘
↑
BARCELONA BUILD-UP
This was beginning to stretch Sevilla's defensive structure.
51' — Barcelona Move Ahead
The pressure finally produced a second Barcelona goal.
Lamine Yamal received the ball and delivered a clever lofted pass.
Raphinha timed his movement perfectly.
He ran onto the ball and headed it into the middle of the goal from close range.
Sevilla 1–2 Barcelona.
Barcelona had completed the comeback.
The second goal
YAMAL
│
│ LOFTED PASS
▼
RAPHINHA
│
▼
HEADER
│
▼
1–2
There was an important tactical connection here.
Yamal had spent the opening stages trying to shoot.
Now he was using the same dangerous positioning to create for someone else.
That made him harder for Sevilla to defend.
Barcelona Begin Controlling the Game
After taking the lead, Barcelona became even more comfortable.
At 51 minutes, they were moving the ball through midfield with controlled passing.
At 58 minutes, Sevilla briefly produced a strong passing sequence of their own.
But Barcelona continued to dictate much of the match.
By 73 minutes, the total attempts were listed as 4 for Sevilla and 17 for Barcelona.
That statistic showed the direction the game had taken.
Barcelona were not simply protecting a 2–1 lead.
They were actively looking for another goal.
Sevilla Try to Respond
Sevilla made changes as they searched for a way back.
Chidera Ejuke came on in the 59th minute.
Isaac Romero and Jose Angel Carmona were introduced later.
The home side needed more attacking energy.
At 58 minutes, Sevilla produced some good combination play.
Felix Correia also showed individual ability when he slalomed past challenges at 55 minutes.
But Barcelona's defensive structure generally prevented Sevilla from turning those moments into clear chances.
Sevilla's comeback problem
SEVILLA RECOVER BALL
↓
BUILD ATTACK
↓
ENTER FINAL THIRD
↓
BARCELONA CLOSE SPACE
↓
ATTACK BREAKS DOWN
The problem was not necessarily getting forward.
It was getting through the final defensive layer.
Barcelona's Defence Also Contributed
Barcelona's victory was not only about attacking.
They also did important defensive work.
At 49 minutes, Andreas Christensen attempted a shot from the edge of the box after collecting a pass from the flank, but Sevilla blocked it.
Later, Barcelona continued preventing Sevilla from creating sustained pressure.
Christensen was eventually forced off with an injury in the 59th minute and Gerard Martin replaced him.
That change could have disrupted Barcelona's structure.
Instead, they continued controlling the match.
64' — Barcelona Nearly Extend the Lead
Barcelona continued attacking.
Raphinha delivered a corner in the 64th minute and tried to create a direct threat.
The ball struck the bar.
A minute later, Joao Cancelo produced a powerful low effort from the edge of the box.
Odysseas Vlachodimos made a superb save to keep Sevilla alive.
Barcelona were now repeatedly threatening from different areas.
Barcelona's attacking variety
BARCELONA
│
┌────────┼────────┐
↓ ↓ ↓
YAMAL RAPHINHA CANCELO
↓ ↓ ↓
DRIBBLE HEADER SHOT
│ │ │
└────────┼────────┘
↓
SEVILLA GOAL
This variety made Barcelona increasingly difficult to contain.
69' — Raphinha Finishes the Comeback
Barcelona's third goal arrived in the 69th minute.
Lamine Yamal found Raphinha on the edge of the area.
Raphinha timed his run perfectly.
Instead of simply shooting through the goalkeeper, he showed composure and chipped the ball over him.
Sevilla 1–3 Barcelona.
The comeback was complete.
The third goal
YAMAL
│
│ PASS
▼
RAPHINHA
│
PERFECT TIMING
│
▼
LOB OVER KEEPER
│
⚽
↓
1–3
The connection between Yamal and Raphinha had now produced two goals.
Yamal assisted Raphinha's second.
Raphinha had already scored the equaliser.
Then Raphinha finished again after Yamal created the opportunity.
That partnership was central to Barcelona's victory.
Barcelona Had the Game Under Control
After making it 3–1, Barcelona became increasingly comfortable.
At 75 minutes, they enjoyed another period of possession.
They were exchanging passes and waiting for openings rather than forcing unnecessary attacks.
The possession figure at 82 minutes was:
Sevilla 33% — Barcelona 67%.
That tells a major part of the story.
Barcelona had not simply scored three goals and sat back.
They were controlling the ball and forcing Sevilla to defend for long periods.
Sevilla Could Not Find a Way Back
Sevilla continued attempting to attack.
But Barcelona were limiting the quality of their opportunities.
At 78 minutes, Sevilla made further changes after Youssouf Fofana picked up an injury.
Alfonso Gonzalez and Jon Guridi were introduced.
The home side continued trying to generate pressure.
At 80 minutes, Lucien Agoume received a yellow card.
But Barcelona were managing the match effectively.
Barcelona Nearly Add a Fourth
At 82 minutes, Lamine Yamal stood over a free kick from a dangerous position.
He tried to find the top-right corner.
However, the defensive wall blocked the effort.
Six minutes later, Dani Olmo also attempted to score directly from a free kick.
Odysseas Vlachodimos produced another good save.
Barcelona were still creating opportunities even in the final stages.
Late Barcelona pressure
75' POSSESSION
↓
82' YAMAL FREE KICK
↓
BLOCKED
88' OLMO FREE KICK
↓
VLACHODIMOS SAVE
Sevilla survived those moments but could not change the score.
The Final Minutes
Five minutes of stoppage time were added.
Sevilla won a corner at 90+2.
Barcelona cleared.
The home side continued trying to find a second goal, but the visitors remained organised.
At the final whistle, Barcelona had completed a 3–1 comeback.
Why Barcelona Won
1. Barcelona responded immediately after conceding
The biggest psychological moment came after Sevilla's opening goal.
Barcelona did not allow the deficit to disrupt their approach.
Three minutes later, Raphinha equalised.
That prevented Sevilla from building momentum from their early lead.
2. Yamal and Raphinha were decisive
The pair were central to Barcelona's attacking success.
Raphinha scored the equaliser.
Yamal assisted his second goal.
Yamal then helped create another opportunity for Raphinha, who completed his brace.
Their combination repeatedly created problems for Sevilla.
3. Barcelona created far more attacking opportunities
By 73 minutes, the attempt count was 17–4 in Barcelona's favour.
That reflected their ability to consistently reach dangerous areas.
They were not relying on one lucky moment.
They were creating repeated opportunities.
4. Barcelona controlled possession
At 82 minutes, Barcelona had 67% possession.
That allowed them to control the rhythm of the match and prevent Sevilla from building sustained pressure.
5. Barcelona attacked from different areas
Yamal threatened from the edge of the box.
Raphinha attacked centrally.
Cancelo produced a dangerous long-range effort.
Dani Olmo threatened from set pieces.
That variety prevented Sevilla from focusing on one attacking route.
The Match's Three Decisive Moments
19' — Sevilla strike first
Fofana's header gave Sevilla a 1–0 advantage.
But Barcelona responded almost immediately.
22' — Raphinha equalises
Raphinha's precise finish restored Barcelona's confidence and prevented Sevilla from controlling the momentum.
69' — Raphinha makes it 3–1
Yamal found Raphinha, who calmly chipped the goalkeeper.
That goal effectively ended Sevilla's comeback hopes.
The Match Timeline
0' ───── 19' ── 22' ───────── 45' ── 52' ───── 69' ───── 90+5'
│ │ │ │ │
FOFANA RAPHINHA HALF RAPHINHA RAPHINHA
│ │ │ │ │
1–0 1–1 1–1 1–2 1–3
│ │ │
└───────┴──────────────────────┴──────────
BARCELONA COMEBACK
MatchWhy Tactical Breakdown
The match can be simplified into three stages.
Stage 1 — Sevilla attack directly
SEVILLA
↓
RECOVER BALL
↓
LONG PASS
↓
FOFANA
↓
HEADER
↓
1–0
Sevilla used a direct route to take the lead.
Stage 2 — Barcelona regain control
BARCELONA
↓
SHORT PASSING
↓
YAMAL / RAPHINHA
↓
SPACE AROUND BOX
↓
RAPHINHA
↓
1–1
Barcelona's passing game allowed them to respond.
Stage 3 — Barcelona take over
POSSESSION
↓
YAMAL CREATES
↓
RAPHINHA SCORES
↓
1–2
↓
BARCELONA KEEP THE BALL
↓
YAMAL → RAPHINHA
↓
CHIP
↓
1–3
This was the tactical progression of the match.
The Importance of the Equaliser
Barcelona's equaliser deserves more attention than it might initially receive.
If Sevilla had reached halftime leading 1–0, the second half could have been completely different.
Instead, Raphinha scored only three minutes after Fofana's goal.
That forced Sevilla to start again from level terms.
It also gave Barcelona confidence that their attacking approach was working.
From that point onward, the visitors increasingly controlled the match.
The Raphinha–Yamal Connection
The two players were particularly influential.
Raphinha finished the chances.
Yamal repeatedly helped create them.
The second goal came from Yamal's lofted pass to Raphinha.
The third goal again involved Yamal finding Raphinha around the edge of the area.
Their combination
YAMAL
↙ ↘
PASS PASS
↓ ↓
RAPHINHA RAPHINHA
↓ ↓
GOAL GOAL
That combination became one of the defining features of the match.
What Sevilla Could Not Solve
Sevilla could not consistently prevent Barcelona from receiving the ball in dangerous areas.
When Yamal found space, he could shoot or create.
When Raphinha moved into the penalty area, Barcelona could find him with passes from different angles.
And when Sevilla tried to push forward, Barcelona's possession allowed them to regain control.
The result was a match that gradually moved away from Sevilla after their early lead.
The Match in One Sentence
Barcelona responded immediately to Sevilla's opening goal, then used superior possession, attacking combinations and the Raphinha–Yamal connection to turn a 1–0 deficit into a 3–1 victory.
Final Takeaway
Barcelona's 3–1 victory over Sevilla was ultimately about their response.
Sevilla struck first through Youssouf Fofana.
Barcelona did not panic.
Raphinha equalised three minutes later.
After halftime, Barcelona increased the pressure.
Raphinha scored again after a clever pass from Yamal.
Then, in the 69th minute, Yamal again helped create the decisive moment as Raphinha chipped the goalkeeper to complete his brace.
Sevilla continued to fight, but the statistics increasingly reflected Barcelona's control.
By 82 minutes, Barcelona had 67% possession.
By 73 minutes, they had produced 17 attempts compared with Sevilla's four.
The visitors were creating more.
They were controlling the ball.
And they were finding their most dangerous attackers repeatedly.
Sevilla had started the match with the advantage.
Barcelona finished it with control.
Sevilla 1–3 Barcelona.
The scoreline tells us Barcelona won.
The performance explains why.
MatchWhy — We don't just tell you the score. We explain why.
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