Barcelona Player Ratings vs. Sevilla: Five-Star Performance Includes Hat-Trick

A four-point advantage over Real Madrid was re-established at Camp Nou.

Raphinha (right) returned to his brilliant best. | Javier Borrego/Europa Press/Getty Images

Barcelona asserted their dominance over Sevilla in a crushing 5–2 win on Sunday afternoon, capped by a hat-trick from captain Raphinha.

Victory for Hansi Flick’s side re-established the Catalan giants’ four-point advantage over Real Madrid, less than 24 hours after they thrashed Elche at the Bernabéu.

Dani Olmo and João Cancelo were also on the scoresheet for Barça, who sent a crystal clear warning to Newcastle United three days before the Magpies travel to Spain for the decisive second leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie which sits delicately poised at 1–1.

---

One Thing We Can’t Ignore

Gavi (left) played his first minutes since August. | Lluis Gene/AFP/Getty Images

On a day where Barcelona flirted with perfection at times, the highlight of the contest didn’t involve any of the well-crafted goals or Raphinha’s hat-trick, but rather the return from injury of one of Camp Nou’s favorite sons: Gavi.

Seven months after undergoing knee surgery, the Spaniard made his long-awaited return to action, donning the captain’s armband during a 10-minute cameo that saw supporters passionately chant his name.

Two major knee injuries have sidelined Gavi for 18 months over the past three seasons, leading many to forget just how good he is. His return on Sunday was more emotional than anything, with the result of the game already decided, but Gavi will be a major asset for Flick once fully fit—an all-around mdifielder whose tenacity and grit is matched by his unquestionable technical quality.

Gavi’s minutes will likely be managed carefully in what remains of the term, but he could be a vital cog in Barça’s wheel as they look to close the door on Real Madrid’s title hopes.

---

Barcelona Player Ratings vs. Sevilla (4-2-3-1)

Raphinha was cold as ice on Sunday. | Lluis Gene/AFP/Getty Images

*Ratings provided by FotMob*

GK: Joan García—7.1: Was accurate in his distribution and could nothing to deny Sevilla’s pair of well-taken goals.

RB: Xavi Espart—7.0: Bright and full of energy, Espart’s first professional start provided an afternoon to remember.

CB: Pau Cubarsí—6.7: Was caught ball watching for both of Sevilla’s goals—not his finest display in a Blaugruna shirt.

CB: Gerard Martín—7.0: Got supporters on their feet with a handful of incisive runs into the final third, taking advantage of Sevilla’s general lack of threat.

LB: João Cancelo—8.4: The Portuguese fullback was a menace in attack, dancing past defenders to win a couple of penalties before scoring a goal of his own.

DM: Marc Bernal—7.2: Failed to score for a fourth consecutive home game, but won’t mind one bit as his performance on the ball was exceptional. Always seems to make the right decision which a talent few have.

DM: Pedri—6.3: Was perhaps conserving his energy for the midweek rematch with Newcastle United. Steady but not spectacular, for once.

RW: Roony Bardghji—7.0: Didn’t make much of an impact on the right side, instead having a watching brief as Barça took control of proceedings.

AM: Dani Olmo—8.5: Roamed between the lines and expertly found pockets of space on a number of occasions. A great darting run allowed him to score Barça’s third.

LW: Raphinha—9.7: The 2024–25 version of Raphinha was unleashed against Sevilla, as the Brazilian threatened all game long. Tucked away his penalties with aplomb, before completing his hat-trick with an effort that took a slight deflection.

ST: Robert Lewandowski—7.1: It’s not often a team scores five and Lewandowski fails to get in on the action. Perhaps a sign that the Pole’s powers are waning—he missed two decent chances to get on the scoresheet.

SUB: Fermín López (46’ for Pedri)—7.7: Bagged an assist in an energetic second half display.

SUB: Ronald Araújo (66’ for Cancelo)—6.3: Defensively sound, but will be wondering how he missed the chance to score Barça’s sixth.

SUB: Lamine Yamal (66’ for Bardghji)—6.4: The game was already beyond Sevilla by the time Yamal entered proceedings. Probably a good job too as it allowed the teenager to cruise to the final whistle.

SUB: Marc Casadó (66’ for Bernal)—6.2: A quiet cameo from the La Masia graduate.

SUB: Gavi (82’ for Raphinha)—N/A

Subs not used: Diego Kochen (GK), Wojciech Szczęsny (GK), Álvaro Cortés, Eric García, Tommy Marqués, Ferran Torres, Marcus Rashford.

---

What the Ratings Tell Us

João Cancelo (middle) dominated. | David Ramirez/Soccrates/Getty Images

• Flick might’ve had his doubts regarding his signing, but João Cancelo’s winter return to Catalonia couldn’t be going much better as of now. It took around a month for the Portuguese to get back up to speed, but he’s been nothing short of brilliant recently to the point where Barça haven’t missed Alejandro Balde.
• Raphinha had been a shell of himself in recent weeks, struggling since sustaining a muscular injury in early February. But the Brazilian looked back to his best on Sunday, emphatically breaking out of his slump at just the right time.
• Barcelona’s attack was fluid and devastating against Sevilla, even without any tangible contributions from Roony Bardghji. In his first start since mid January, the teenager failed to impress and opportunities will surely be hard to come by until the end of the season.

---

The Numbers That Explain Barcelona’s Dazzling Performance

Dani Olmo scored his first goal since January. | Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto/Getty Images

• Flick’s devastating attack scored five goals from eight shots on goal, taking advantage of their chances to a prolific extent.
• It could’ve been much worse for Sevilla given Barcelona still allowed themselves to squander three big chances—two of those falling to Lewandowski.
• Sevilla outperformed their 0.83 xG. Barcelona will be frustrated to allow two isolated actions to make the final scoreline more flattering for the visitors, but Flick’s men were fantastic on the day.

Statistic	Barcelona	Sevilla
Possession	61%	39%
Expected Goals (xG)	3.36	0.83
Total Shots	13	9
Shots on Target	8	4
Big Chances	7	2
Passing Accuracy	89%	79%
Fouls Committed	5	14
Corners	3	4

---