Barcelona preserved their perfect start to the season with a commanding 1-3 away win against Sevilla in LaLiga's seventh round. A Raphinha hat-trick was the decisive factor, propelling Hansi Flick's side to a seventh straight victory and keeping them three points clear of Real Madrid at the summit.
The match at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán saw Sevilla take an early lead through Youssouf Fofana in the 19th minute. The response was swift, with Raphinha levelling just three minutes later from an Andreas Christensen pass. The Brazilian forward put Barcelona ahead seven minutes after the restart, finishing off a move created by Lamine Yamal, and completed his hat-trick in the 70th minute, again assisted by the teenage winger. The result extends Barcelona's strong recent record at this ground, where they also won 4-1 last season.
Christensen injury blow
The sole setback of the evening was an injury to centre-back Andreas Christensen, who was forced off in the 57th minute with left thigh pain and replaced by Gerard Martín. The club confirmed the Danish defender will be out for several weeks, pending further tests to determine the full extent of the issue. His absence will test a defence that has conceded only seven goals in seven league matches so far.
Midfielder Fermín López, who started the game, highlighted the team's collective effort. "Our objective was to go into the international break as leaders with a full set of wins and we are very happy," he said. "Raphinha is surprising us a little because he had never played as a number nine."
The hat-trick takes Raphinha's league tally to 12 goals, giving him a five-goal cushion at the top of the scoring charts. The team, which has now scored 31 goals in seven matches, heads into the international break in an ideal position. Their next fixture is at home to Getafe on October 10, a match for which they already hold a three-point lead at the top of the standings. Fans can check the full schedule for the run-in on our fixtures page.
First reported at Mundo Deportivo
