Raphinha's Hat-Trick Fuels Barcelona's Comeback Against Sevilla

Barcelona walked into the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán, fell behind early, and still walked out looking untouchable.

Hansi Flick’s side overturned an early scare to beat Sevilla 3-1, preserving their perfect league start and sending another loud message to the rest of La Liga: this team can suffer, and still suffocate you.

Early shock, instant response

The night began badly for the visitors. In the 19th minute, Youssouf Fofana punished Barcelona, striking first for Sevilla and igniting the home crowd. For a brief spell, the stadium crackled with belief.

It didn’t last.

Three minutes later, Barcelona sliced through. Andreas Christensen stepped out, picked his pass, and found Raphinha in space. One touch, one finish. 1-1. The noise dropped; the tone of the evening changed.

From that moment, Barcelona took control and never really let go. They pinned Sevilla back, dictated the tempo, and turned the match into a long, draining exercise in chasing shadows.

Raphinha, the new No. 9

Raphinha didn’t just drag Barça level. He owned the night.

Deployed centrally this season after the summer exits of Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres, the Brazilian is no longer just a winger cutting in from the flank. He is Flick’s No. 9, and he is thriving.

He added two more goals in the second half to complete his hat-trick, ripping through Sevilla’s back line with the confidence of a striker who knows he is the reference point now. By the final whistle, his numbers were staggering: 12 goals in seven league matches, 14 goals and three assists in just eight games across all competitions.

This was not even a one-off explosion. It was his second hat-trick in 72 hours, following his treble in the 7-2 demolition of Racing in the previous round. Same player, new role, same ruthless finishing.

The transformation is no longer a tactical experiment. It looks like a season-defining shift.

Control, resilience and a new face in goal

The comeback was not just about attacking fireworks. Once ahead, Barcelona showed a colder, more mature side.

Christensen’s night ended early with a thigh problem in the second half, a concern Flick will not ignore. Yet even with that disruption, the defensive structure held.

Dominik Livakovic, making his debut in goal, looked like he had been there for months. He handled Sevilla’s efforts with calm authority, dealing with several dangerous situations and refusing to give the hosts a way back into the contest.

In front of him, Pau Cubarsí and Eric Garcia marshalled the back line with composure. After Fofana’s opener, Sevilla were starved of clear chances. The early chaos gave way to control.

The pressure that had briefly lifted the home fans soon turned into resignation.

Lamine Yamal’s spark on the flank

While Raphinha stole the headlines, Lamine Yamal lit up the wings.

The young winger repeatedly drove at Sevilla’s defence, forcing Odysseas Vlachodimos into action and stretching the game in Barcelona’s favour. He delivered two vital assists for Raphinha, his direct running and sharp decision-making constantly opening cracks in the home side’s shape.

As the minutes ticked by, Sevilla simply couldn’t live with the combination of Raphinha’s movement through the middle and Yamal’s relentless threat out wide. The game became a procession of Barcelona attacks, the outcome no longer in doubt.

Top of the table, bigger tests ahead

The win keeps Barcelona comfortably at the top of La Liga with 21 points from 21. The performances are starting to match the numbers: a team that can chase a game, then suffocate it; a team that can lose a key defender mid-match and still look stable; a team that has found an unexpected killer in the penalty area.

Flick now turns to recovery and preparation. Christensen’s fitness will be assessed in the coming days, with the schedule offering no time to breathe.

Getafe await on October 10 in the league. Three days later comes Galatasaray in the Champions League, a fixture that will test whether this early-season surge can translate onto Europe’s bigger stage.

If Raphinha keeps firing like this, who will dare to bet against them?