Attacking midfielder Pedri expressed his disappointment with a “terrible” opening half as Barcelona experienced their first LaLiga defeat of the campaign on Sunday, succumbing to a 4-1 loss against Sevilla at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán stadium.
A penalty conversion by seasoned player Alexis Sánchez, facing his former club, coupled with a goal from Isaac Romero, propelled Sevilla to a two-goal advantage within the initial 37 minutes. However, Marcus Rashford narrowed the deficit with a well-executed volley just before halftime.
Robert Lewandowski’s missed penalty in the second half prevented an equalizer, and late goals from José Ángel Carmona and Akor Adams resulted in consecutive losses for Barça for the first time since December 2024, following their midweek defeat against Paris Saint-Germain.
“The first 45 minutes were terrible,” Pedri conveyed to Barça One post-match. “I don’t believe we’ve performed as poorly as we did today. We must be honest with ourselves and engage in self-criticism.
“There was a lack of intensity and quality in possession during the first half. We struggled to navigate their press. We seemed uncertain about what to do with the ball.
“We have a lot to improve upon. The coach [Hansi Flick] and we, the players, will dedicate ourselves to making improvements after the break to prevent a recurrence of this situation.”
The loss pushes Barça, who played without Lamine Yamal and Raphinha in Seville, down to second position in the LaLiga standings, trailing Real Madrid who secured a victory against Villarreal on Saturday.
Despite enduring a second defeat across all competitions within a week, Flick refrained from excessive negativity, instead acknowledging the team’s response in the second half.
In addition to Lewandowski’s penalty miss, substitute Roony Bardghji also failed to convert two promising opportunities, while Eric García’s header from a corner was saved.
“The first portion of the game wasn’t favorable for us,” the Barça coach stated during a news conference. “They engaged us in one-on-one situations and displayed great aggression, leaving us without a strategy to play out from the back.
“It was genuinely poor. However, the second half showcased a positive response. I greatly appreciate our actions and gameplay, and it was encouraging to witness.”
Besides Yamal and Raphinha, Barça also missed the services of Marc-André ter Stegen, Joan García, Gavi, and Fermín López against Sevilla.
The international break presents the Spanish champions with an opportunity to regain fitness for several players, with Flick assuring a strong reaction upon their return to LaLiga action against Girona on Oct. 18.
“The paramount aspect is the reaction and the emotion — also evident within the dressing room — that I observe,” he added.
“It’s vital that we maintain this spirit and that we fight upon our return after the break. We will contend for every title, including the Champions League, the Copa [del Rey], the Supercopa, and, of course, LaLiga. That is our ambition.
“I believe we possess a talented team. Players will recover, and we will proceed. It’s a positive outlook, and we will work diligently, as that is what we must do.”
