Sergio Ramos’ unfortunate own goal ends up making the difference in Barcelona’s win over Sevilla

Author: Soorya G

In a thrilling La Liga clash, Barcelona claimed a narrow victory over Sevilla thanks to an unfortunate own goal from Sevilla veteran Sergio Ramos. Under the guidance of Xavi Hernández, Barcelona adopted an exceptionally attacking formation. In particular, the midfield troika of Gavi, Ilkay Gundogan and the surprising Raphinha showed promise from the start. Raphinha, normally an attacking dynamo, gave João Félix a precise pass inside the penalty area. Felix’s well-taken shot was impressively saved by Sevilla goalkeeper Orjan Nyland.

However, although Raphinha stood out in the attacking phase, his defensive ability seemed less secure. A misplaced pass from Raphinha in the defensive third almost proved costly for Barcelona, as Ivan Rakitic, a former Barcelona player, unleashed a powerful 20-yard shot that was expertly saved by Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

Barcelona came close to opening the scoring in the 21st minute when João Félix, helped by João Cancelo’s delicate pass, hit the crossbar with only the goalkeeper to help him. Throughout the first half, the pendulum swung back and forth. Dodi Lubebakio’s attempt from close range forced Ter Stegen into an agile save, while Raphinha saw his volley saved by Nyland. Unfortunately for Barcelona, Raphinha’s participation was cut short when he was substituted in the 35th minute due to a suspected muscle injury.

As the second half progressed, Barcelona gradually exerted their dominance. The home side tried hard to involve their main striker, Robert Lewandowski, but Sevilla defender Sánchez became the obstacle to the Pole’s goal with a skillful block in the 55th minute.

Despite having most of the possession, Barcelona faced the challenge of testing Nyland. However, a crucial moment materialized in the 73rd minute, when Rakitic wasted a golden opportunity to take Sevilla into the lead. In a race to the far post, Rakitic narrowly missed a header after Erik Lamela’s pinpoint cross.

This near miss served as a warning to Barcelona, who reacted promptly with a goal a few minutes later. The unlikely scorer was Sergio Ramos, who has faced Barcelona on several occasions as Real Madrid captain. Unfortunately for Ramos, he was in the wrong place at the wrong time when Lamine Yamal’s header hit the defender’s knee and ended up in the back of the net. It was an extremely unfortunate episode, especially considering that Ramos had been giving a masterful performance up to that point.