A goal from Koundé and a deadly counterattack defined by Rakitic gave Sevilla a huge victory in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals, to leave Barcelona one step away from KO
Sevilla-Barcelona, the first stage of the semi-final cup, leaves more doubts than certainties in the Ronald Koeman, who after a good career in recent weeks, seems to have taken a step back in the competition that was more convenient.
Umtiti moments
– More than one, Samuel Umtiti had two decisive moments, decisive in the fate of the match. In the first he saw Koundé take a 1-0 lead, in the second, in a play in space, he slipped and left Ivan Rakitic in a one-on-one against Ter Stegen and did not miss. Since returning from the 2018 World Cup, in which France was champion, Umtiti is not the same, his knee suffers from many problems and has kept him out of the team for weeks. Now that his physical difficulties seem to be solved, his speed is different.
The eight victims
– Following the request of the calendar, Barcelona appeared at Sánchez Pizjuan with eight victims and had to organize a defense of circumstances, with Junior Firpo, one left to right and Mingueza and Umtiti on the axis. . Sergiño Dest, Ronald Araujo, Piqué and Sergi Roberto remained in Barcelona; also Pjanic and Braithwaite, as well as Coutinho and Ansu Fati.
Revenge ex
– That the management of Josep Maria Bartomeu’s resignation at the end of the season, in order to reduce the payroll, was disastrous is not a perception, but a reality. Barça practically gave Ivan Rakitic Sevilla (author 2-0 last night) and Luis Suárez Atlético de Madrid (LaLiga leader’s goal scorer). In the unfortunate 2-8 of the European season against Bayern Munich, Philippe Coutinho, on loan from Barça, contributed with two goals.
Last chance
– The Copa del Rey is practically Koeman’s last chance for Barça to win a title this season. In LaLiga he is eight points behind his head, in the Champions League he seems to have no petrol to compete at the highest level … Now in the Cup he will have to return.
return
– According to statistics, it is not a chimera. Two seasons ago, in the quarterfinals of the Cup, Barcelona lost 2-0 in the first leg against Sevilla de Machín, at the Camp Nou he changed the situation with a resounding 6-1.