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Attendance: 38,403
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Copa del Rey | Quarter-Finals
Jan 23, 2019 at 8.30pm UK
 
Barcelona logo

2-0

Sarabia (58'), Ben Yedder (76')
FT(HT: 0-0)

Live Commentary: Sevilla 2-0 Barcelona - as it happened

Relive Sports Mole's live coverage of the first leg of the Copa del Rey quarter-final between Sevilla and Barcelona, which finished 2-0.
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Pablo Sarabia and Wissam Ben Yedder scored the goals as Sevilla recorded a 2-0 win over Barcelona in the first leg of their Copa del Rey quarter-final at the Estadio Ramon on Wednesday night.

Both teams had a number of opportunities to register in Seville, but Sarabia's 58th-minute effort and a late Ben Yedder strike has given Sevilla a two-goal advantage to take into the second leg at Camp Nou next week.

Read how it all unfolded in Sports Mole's minute-by-minute coverage of the action.


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Good evening and welcome to Sports Mole's live coverage of the first leg of the Copa del Rey quarter-final between Sevilla and Barcelona from the Estadio Ramon. The two teams locked horns in the final of last season's Copa del Rey, with Barcelona running out 5-0 winners as the Catalan giants landed the trophy for the 30th time. What will occur tonight? Stay tuned to find out!

TEAMS!

SEVILLA: Soriano; Gomez, Kjaer, Mercado; Escudero, Banega, Amadou, Navas; Promes, Sarabia, Ben Yedder

BARCELONA: Cillessen; Semedo, Pique, Lenglet, Roberto; Rakitic, Arthur, Vidal; Alena, Boateng, Malcom


Sevilla boss Pablo Machin has made changes from the team that lost 2-0 at Real Madrid in La Liga at the weekend, with Juan Soriano, Gabriel Mercado and Quincy Promes among those to come into the side. It is still a strong XI, however, with Ever Banega and Wissam Ben Yedder included.

As for Barcelona, the big team news involves a certain Kevin-Price Boateng. The 31-year-old only joined the Catalan giants on loan from Sassuolo yesterday, but has gone straight into the XI. It looks like Boateng will lead the attack with support from Carles Alena and Malcom, with Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho both on the bench, Lionel Messi left out altogether and Ousmane Dembele injured. Jasper Cillessen also replaces Marc-Andre ter Stegen between the sticks for the holders.

Barcelona landed their 30th Copa del Rey crown last season and have been utterly dominant in this competition in recent years. Indeed, they have lifted the trophy in each of the last four campaigns and have been present in all but one of the last eight finals, which is some record.

KICKOFF:  Barcelona kick things off at the Estadio Ramon...

... Boateng has indeed gone through the middle for the away side tonight, with Alena and Malcom in close proximity. Malcom, Boateng, Alena as a front three. Fair enough!

Barcelona will enter the match off the back of a 3-1 victory over Leganes on Sunday, which was their seventh straight three points in the league. A total of 46 points has left them top of the table, five clear of second-placed Atletico Madrid on the same number of matches. Sevilla, meanwhile, as mentioned, suffered a 2-0 defeat at Real Madrid to drop down to fourth spot.

Lots of possession for Barcelona in the early stages as they move the ball in Sevilla's half of the field, but no chances to report. Boateng looks keen to make a good impression.

Barcelona recorded a 4-2 win when the pair met at Camp Nou in La Liga earlier this season. Their last meeting at the Estadio Ramon was also in the league, with the points being shared in a 2-2 draw in March 2018. Barcelona also ran out 5-0 winners over Sevilla in the final of last season's Copa del Rey, before recording a 2-1 victory in the Spanish Super Cup back in August.

Ernesto Valverde's side had no problems overcoming Cultural Leonesa in the last round, ultimately running out 5-1 aggregate winners to advance to the last-16 stage of the competition once again. Levante provided some good competition in the round of 32, but a 3-0 home victory in the second leg saw Barcelona progress to the last eight with an aggregate score of 4-2.

As mentioned, Sevilla reached the final of last season's Copa del Rey, while they have won this competition on five previous occasions, the last of which came in 2010. Machin's team overcame Villanovense in the round of 32 to set up a last-16 clash with Athletic Bilbao, and despite losing the second leg 1-0 on home soil, they progressed to the quarter-finals 3-2 on aggregate.

Fourteen minutes on the clock and we are still goalless. Not an awful lot has happened thus far to be honest. Barcelona have had more of the ball, but no chances to report here.

Sevilla's form in 2019 has been disappointing when considering how they performed in the first half of the season, but a win over Barcelona tonight would leave the fans dreaming of Copa del Rey success. Still goalless with 16 minutes on the clock at the Estadio Ramon.

SHOT!  Rakitic's strike from distance sails over the Sevilla crossbar.

Navas sends a dangerous cross into the Barcelona box after getting the best of Semedo, but Pique is on hand to make the clearance. The match is just starting to open up a touch.

Malcom delivers a dangerous cross into the Sevilla box, but there are no takers. Sevilla then break down the other end with Navas once again, but his low cross is cleared by Roberto.

Barcelona will be in European action next month as they travel to Lyon for the first leg of their Champions League last-16 clash. The treble is certainly on for the Catalan giants, but they will need Lionel Messi to be in full flow if that is to happen. Messi was named on the bench against Leganes on Sunday, but Barcelona needed the Argentine in the second period to secure all three points. They do not have that luxury tonight, however, as Messi has been left out of the squad.

Good work from Sevilla as they work the ball into a crossing position - Banega's low ball is cleared before the Argentine delivers a corner, but Barcelona deal with it once again.

The Copa del Rey is third on the list of priorities for Barcelona this season when it comes to the major trophies, but this competition has been very good to the Catalan giants over the years.

VAR are going to have a look at a possible Vidal handball here...

... no penalty. Play continues and Banega's latest corner is cleared.

The nature of the Copa del Rey and its two-legged affairs mean that it is an extremely busy period of the season for Sevilla, who will be in Europa League knockout-round action against Lazio next month. It could be a very good season for Sevilla, or it could go wrong quite quickly.

We have not seen an awful lot from Boateng in the first 32 minutes of this match. In fact, Sevilla are very much the team on the front foot at the moment. Still all square in Seville.

Little over 10 minutes of the first period remaining and Barcelona have been the team on the front foot in the last couple of minutes. Both sides have had decent spells in possession.

SHOT!  Vidal misses the post from outside the Sevilla box.

CHANCE!  Easily the best moment of the first period as Ben Yedder embarks on a fine run into the Barcelona box - escaping a number of challenges - but his effort is just wide!

Tonight's match is the the first meeting between Sevilla and Barcelona at the Estadio Ramon this season, but the Catalan giants recorded a 4-2 victory when they locked horns at Camp Nou in La Liga back in October. No sign of six goals in this one though! All square in Seville.

Sevilla are the team on the front foot at the moment as they continue to work the ball into dangerous positions. Pique and Lenglet have both had to clear their lines here.

CHANCE!  Huge chance for Barcelona this time as Malcom drives into the Sevilla box before rounding Soriano, but he smashes into the side-netting! Should have scored!

It has been a very even first half, but we still wait for the first goal here.

SAVE!  Super save from Cillessen to keep out a close-range effort from Ben Werder, who had been found by Escudero. Plenty of chances late in the first period here.

HALF TIME:  SEVILLA 0-0 BARCELONA

So there we have it. The referee brings the first period to a close with the two teams level at 0-0. Both sides have had chances to make the breakthrough, particularly in the latter stages of the half. However, the first leg of this Copa del Rey quarter-final is currently goalless.

STATISTICS! Barcelona shaded the possession with 59%, while the visitors managed five attempts, but all five were off target. Sevilla, meanwhile, hit the target with one of their six attempts. No yellow cards to report in the first half, it has not been that type of match.

BENCH WATCH! Barcelona boss Valverde has named a very strong bench tonight, with Jordi Alba, Philippe Coutinho and Luis Suarez all available alongside Oriol Busquets, Rui Puig and Thomas Vermaelen. Sevilla, meanwhile, have the likes of Gil, Andre Silva and Vazquez in reserve.

KICKOFF:  Sevilla resume the action here...

... no changes from either side at the break, which is not too much of a surprise. However, I suspect that both managers will have alterations in mind as the second period develops here.

Just a reminder that the second leg of this quarter-final will take place at Camp Nou next week. Surely Sevilla need to take a lead into that match? The hosts will want a goal here.

Almost a half-chance for Boateng as Alena delivers a dangerous cross into the Sevilla box, but Soriano is on hand to make the claim, before Navas has a dangerous delivery cleared down the other end of the field. The second half is just starting to warm up here.

Alena shows good feet to dribble along the edge of the Barcelona box before shifting it to Semedo, whose low cross is deflected behind for a corner. Good Barcelona pressure.

SHOT!  Amadou volleys harmlessly wide of the Barcelona post.

Little over 30 minutes of the second period remaining and we are still looking for the first goal of the match. Both managers will just start thinking about alterations here.

GOAL!  SEVILLA 1-0 BARCELONA (SARABIA)

Sevilla make the breakthrough in the 59th minute as Sarabia smashes into the back of the Barcelona net after meeting a dangerous cross from Promes!

CHANCE!  Sevilla are absolutely flying at the moment as they look for a second! A dangerous cross from Promes lands on the head of Banega, whose header is just too high!

BARCELONA SUBS! Luis Suarez and Coutinho replace Boateng and Malcom.

CHANCE!  Wonderful chance for Coutinho to level just moments after entering, but the Brazilian fires over the crossbar from inside the box. It is a huge chance for Coutinho!

Sevilla are preparing to make their first change of the match here.

SEVILLA SUB! Vazquez replaces Sarabia for the home side.

Navas sees another low cross deflected behind as Sevilla now go on the front foot. It is a proper football match here and we still have at least 20 minutes to play in this first leg.

I would be surprised if we had seen the last of the goals in this match, especially with Barcelona intent on scoring a leveller, which is leaving lots of space for Sevilla.

SEVILLA SUB! Andre Silva replaces Navas for the home side.

YELLOW CARD!  Gomez (Sevilla) is booked for a foul on Vidal.

SEVILLA 2-0 BARCELONA (BEN YEDDER)

And there is the second! Huge goal! Sevilla take a 2-0 lead over Barcelona in this Copa del Rey quarter-final as Ben Yedder turns a low Banega cross in at the far post!

Barcelona are in all sorts of trouble in this Copa del Rey tie. Surely they need to score an away goal in the final 10 minutes or so to be in with a chance in the second leg?

BARCELONA SUB! Alba replaces Semedo in Barcelona's third change.

SHOT!  Wrong side of the net for Pique, who had met a deep corner. Still more than enough time for Barcelona to score an away goal, but Sevilla could just as easily grab a third goal here.

YELLOW CARD!  Alba (Barcelona) is booked for a foul on Vazquez.

SHOT!  Promes dances into a shooting position before firing harmlessly wide of the post.

SEVILLA SUB! Arana replaces Escudero in Sevilla's third change.

Just a reminder that the second leg of this quarter-final takes place at Camp Nou next Wednesday. Sevilla are going to have a healthy lead as it stands, but we are not finished.

Just a reminder that the second leg of this quarter-final takes place at Camp Nou next Wednesday. Sevilla are going to have a healthy lead as it stands, but we are not finished.

We are into the first of four minutes of additional time here.

Not too much happening in stoppage time, which is good news for Sevilla. The ball is in the home side's half of the field as we head for the final seconds of this match.

Pique has just cleared a Banega free kick which arrived into the Barcelona box.

FULL TIME:  SEVILLA 2-0 BARCELONA

So there we have it. The referee brings the second period to a close with Sevilla recording a 2-0 win over Barcelona in the first leg of their Copa del Rey quarter-final. Huge result for Sevilla! Thanks for joining Sports Mole for our live coverage once again. Until next time!

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