In a thrilling La Liga showdown, Barcelona secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Sevilla, with none other than former Real Madrid legend Sergio Ramos inadvertently providing the winning goal. The clash at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on September 29, 2023, witnessed a late twist that saw Barcelona rise to the top of the table.
Veteran center-back Sergio Ramos, who had returned to Spain from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer, found himself in an unexpected position when he deflected Lamine Yamal’s header into his own net in the 76th minute. It was a moment that left fans in disbelief, as Ramos had expressed plans for a special goal celebration if he managed to score against Barcelona, but destiny had other ideas.
Barcelona’s victory propelled them past Girona, taking them to the summit of the La Liga table. Their city neighbors, Girona, and third-place Real Madrid were set to battle it out the following day, with Xavi’s Barcelona hoping to maintain their position at the top.
Midfielder Gavi, speaking about the win, stated, “It’s an important win for us, we deserved it from start to finish. We had clear chances in the first half to go in calmly at the break … but (in the end) we won.”
Before the match, Sevilla made a statement by announcing that their directors would not partake in the traditional pre-game lunch or sit in the presidential box. This gesture was in protest against Barcelona’s alleged involvement in a refereeing corruption scandal, which had seen charges brought against the Catalan club and some of its former directors.
Xavi’s tactical choices included starting Raphinha in attacking midfield alongside Lamine Yamal, aiming to inject dynamism into their attacking play. Ilkay Gundogan was moved to a holding midfield role alongside Gavi, relegating Oriol Romeu to the bench following his underwhelming performance in a recent draw against Mallorca.
The match saw moments of brilliance and close calls from both sides. Joao Felix struck the crossbar with a powerful shot, while Sevilla remained sharp on the counter-attack. Barcelona’s goalkeeper, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, made crucial saves to deny Ivan Rakitic and Dodi Lukebakio, while Gavi’s chest block thwarted Lucas Ocampos.
Barcelona’s experiment with Raphinha was cut short due to injury, and he was replaced by La Masia graduate Fermin Lopez. However, Ramos’ own goal eventually broke the deadlock, with the ball inadvertently finding the back of the net.
Sergio Ramos, who had been met with whistles from Barcelona fans due to his Real Madrid history, ironically received cheers when his own goal was replayed on the stadium’s big screen.
While Ramos had played well throughout the match, his unintended contribution handed Barcelona a crucial victory. Despite his efforts to block Lewandowski’s late attempt, Ramos’ own goal proved to be the decisive moment.
The match left former Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic with mixed feelings, as he remarked, “It was a hard-fought game, what we expected it would be, and we had a lot of chances. We have a lot to improve. There were some interesting things today, but I want to win. Our ambition is to try and win every game.”
In a game full of drama and unexpected turns, Barcelona emerged victorious, seizing the top spot in La Liga and leaving fans eagerly anticipating the rest of the season.
[Source: Channelstv.com – Read More]
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