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

Barcelona walked into the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, went a goal down, and walked out with their perfect league record intact and Sevilla subdued. A 3-1 comeback win, a statement performance, and one man at the heart of it all: Raphinha.

Sevilla strike first, Barça barely flinch

The night began with a jolt for Hansi Flick’s side. In the 19th minute, Youssouf Fofana punished Barcelona with the opener, giving the home crowd exactly what it craved – a lead and a spark.

It didn’t last.

Three minutes later, Andreas Christensen split Sevilla open with a precise pass, and Raphinha did the rest. One touch, one finish, and the noise inside the stadium dipped. Barcelona had been stung, but not shaken.

From that moment, the visitors took control. They pinned Sevilla back, owned the ball, and turned the game into a long, uncomfortable defensive exercise for the hosts. The early deficit felt like a brief interruption rather than a genuine threat.

Raphinha the No. 9, and the difference

With Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres gone in the summer, Barcelona needed a new focal point. They found one in Raphinha, and he is tearing La Liga apart.

Already level at the break, Barcelona came out in the second half with a sharper edge. Raphinha, operating centrally as a number nine, dragged Sevilla’s backline around, attacked space, and finished with the conviction of a natural striker.

He added two more goals after the interval to complete his hat-trick, killing off the contest and taking his league tally to 12 goals in just seven appearances. The Brazilian is not just adapting to his new role; he is redefining it for this Barça side.

Across all competitions, his numbers are staggering: 14 goals and three assists in eight matches. This was his second hat-trick in 72 hours, following his treble in the 7-2 demolition of Racing in the previous round. Same player, different position, same ruthless output.

Yamal sparks, Livakovic settles, defence locks in

Barcelona’s dominance wasn’t only about the man finishing the moves. Lamine Yamal tormented Sevilla down the flank, repeatedly driving at Odysseas Vlachodimos’s goal and serving as the perfect supply line. He ended the night with two assists for Raphinha, but his influence went beyond the numbers. Every time he received the ball, Sevilla braced themselves.

At the other end, Dominik Livakovic marked his debut in goal with a calm, assured display. He dealt with Sevilla’s efforts cleanly, making several important stops and radiating composure behind a backline that had to adjust on the fly.

That adjustment came after Christensen was forced off in the second half with a thigh injury. Even so, the defence held. Pau Cubarsi and Eric Garcia stepped up, marshalling the line and cutting out Sevilla’s attacks before they could develop into real danger. After Fofana’s opener, clear chances for the home side were rare.

As Barcelona’s control grew, Sevilla’s resistance faded. The visitors moved the ball with authority, pressed with intent, and the game began to feel like a training-ground drill in managing a lead – only this time, they were doing it away from home, in one of Spain’s most hostile arenas.

Top of the table, eyes on what’s next

The win keeps Barcelona perfect in La Liga and firmly on top of the table with 21 points. Flick’s team look balanced, aggressive, and increasingly sure of themselves, with a new attacking hierarchy already taking shape.

The only cloud is Christensen’s fitness. Flick will use the coming days to assess the defender’s thigh problem and adjust his plans if needed.

There is little time to breathe. Barcelona host Getafe on October 10 as they look to extend their domestic streak, then turn to the Champions League and a crucial clash with Galatasaray on October 13.

If Raphinha keeps firing like this and the structure around him holds, the real question isn’t whether Barcelona can stay top. It’s who, exactly, is going to stop them.