After Lionel Messi's departure, Barcelona lost their soul and unfortunately failed to qualify for the Champions League knockout stage. However, the UEFA Cup has become the center of attention for them! Everyone is optimistic that Barcelona will win the UEFA Cup this season, but the first hurdle is Napoli in the play-offs. If Barcelona can easily get past Napoli, the road to the title still needs to go through Sevilla, after all, the name of the "Sevilla Cup" is not trivial.
At 04:00 GMT on December 22nd, a La Liga bye was played at Sevilla's home ground. The two teams drew 1-1 on Sevilla's stage, and this match can be seen as a preview of the UEFA Cup final, which will be played on May 18, 2022, at Sevilla's home ground. If the two teams meet early or are eliminated, it will be a do-or-die battle for the title!
From this "preview", Barcelona had a clear advantage, with 15% more possession, a 21-6 lead in shots on goal, and a 6-2 lead in shots on target. Barcelona's offense risked a whopping 80 shots, while Sevilla only had 28. However, it was Sevilla who broke through first, as they capitalized on a corner kick in the 32nd minute, with Gomez firing in a low shot. Barcelona's goal also came from a corner, with Dembele taking the penalty and Araujo heading home.
In the second half, Sevilla's Conde maliciously hit Alba in the face with the ball and was sent off with a red card. Sevilla's solid defense with one less player kept Barcelona at bay many times. The match showed that although Sevilla is currently second in the league, there is still a gap between them and Barcelona. Barcelona is getting back to being the king of the league, but the impact of Messi's departure is still evident. Perhaps Barcelona will be at their best when the knockout stages of the UEFA Cup officially begin. This is the UEFA Cup final between Barcelona and Sevilla to look forward to!
