Having to play away at Sevilla, Barcelona are predicted to have a difficult day. However, coach Quique Setien's team is still determined to win to increase the pressure on Real Madrid to play on June 22.
Playing on the field of the team currently ranked 3rd in La Liga, Setien surprised everyone when he eliminated Antoine Griezmann, choosing Martin Braithwaite to coordinate with Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi in attack. Playing hard at an average density of 3 days/match, Barca players showed clear signs of fatigue, entering the match slowly.
The first half took place without too many dangerous opportunities. Messi and Suarez are still the most notable factors on the "Ctalan giants" side.
In the 21st minute, Lionel Messi had a good free kick, the ball went towards the top corner of the goal, but the Sevilla defender predicted a situation that should be covered in time. 4 minutes later, it was Suarez's turn to cross the ball unpleasantly, making goalkeeper Vaclik unable to catch him. Unfortunately, Martin Braithwaite could not take advantage.
Unable to score, Barcelona's defense also had to defend against "competitive reps" quite well from Sevilla. If Jules Kounde and his teammates had finished better, the home team would have had an advantage in the first 45 minutes.
The second half took place with little difference. Sevilla's defense was still playing extremely solidly, creating points for the attack to catch up, giving them the opportunity to attack. In particular, high balls are a "weapon" for harm, helping the home team approach the opponent's goal. If it were not for the talent of goalkeeper Ter Stegen, Ocampos and Munir could have been named in the scoreboard.
As time passed, Barca became more and more stuck in front of Sevilla's multi-layered defense. Even with Griezmann on the pitch, the visitors mainly pressed the ball into Messi's feet. The Argentine superstar was tightly marked and the Catalan team was also "out of cards".
In the end, Barcelona was held to a 0-0 draw at Ramon Sanchez pizjuan. Although still 3 points ahead of second-placed Real, Quique Setien's team has played 1 more match. Meanwhile, Sevilla is firmly in 3rd place with 52 points after 30 rounds.
