Image Source : GETTY IMAGES Lionel Messi seems dejected after Barcelona concede first aim towards Sevilla at Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium in Seville.
This time, in his 900th match, Lionel Messi did not have a solution for Sevilla.
Messi had a quiet efficiency in his milestone match towards the group he punished essentially the most in his profession, and Barcelona misplaced 2-0 in Seville within the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals on Wednesday.
Messi has scored extra targets towards Sevilla than towards every other group — 37 in 41 video games — however the Argentine nice squandered a few possibilities as Sevilla received its eighth consecutive match in all competitions. Jules Koundé scored within the first half and former Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic added the second close to the top.
The second leg can be on Feb. 27 on the Camp Nou Stadium in Barcelona. Athletic Bilbao hosts Levante on Thursday within the first leg of the opposite semifinal.
“There is still hope,” Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman stated. “It will be complicated, but this team is capable of anything.”
Sevilla and Barcelona entered the semis as the most well liked groups in Spain. The Catalan membership was coming off six straight wins in all competitions.
“We are at halftime of a match of 180 minutes,” Sevilla coach Julen Lopetegui stated. “There will be a lot happening before we go to Barcelona, but we know how difficult it will be for us. The hardest part is still to come.”
The groups performed within the Copa last in 2016 and 2018, with Barcelona popping out on high each occasions. The Catalan membership is attempting to make it to its ninth last in 11 years. It made it to the final 4 9 straight occasions earlier than being eradicated by Athletic within the quarterfinals final season.
Barcelona managed possession nevertheless it struggled to create many important possibilities on the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán Stadium, with Sevilla goalkeeper Bono stopping the few efforts he confronted. Sevilla continually threatened on counterattacks, particularly after opening the scoring within the first half.
Messi, making his 758th look with Barcelona so as to add to his 142 with Argentina, commanded the assault however didn’t capitalize on his possibilities, together with one with solely Bono to beat within the eleventh minute. He practically scored with a stoppage-time free kick that once more was stopped by Bono.
Messi had been rested within the Spanish league sport towards Real Betis on Sunday, when he got here off the bench within the second half to steer the group to a come-from-behind victory.
Koundé put Sevilla forward within the twenty fifth with a pleasant run that culminated with him slipping the ball in between the legs of Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti earlier than taking pictures into the online from inside the realm.
Rakitic sealed the victory in an Eighty fifth-minute breakaway, beating goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen with a shot into the highest of the online. The midfielder did not have a good time the aim towards his former membership.
Koeman was with out three gamers due to accidents — Martin Braithwaite, Sergiño Dest and Miralem Pjanic. Lopetegui was with out injured gamers Lucas Ocampos and Jesús Navas.
(Inputs from AP.)
