Tag: BARCELONA

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EL CLASICO: REAL MADRID EDGE BARCELONA IN THRILLER TO GO TOP OF LA LIGA TABLE

Real Madrid climbed to the top of La Liga on Saturday after Karim Benzema’s flicked finish helped them claim a thrilling 2-1 victory over Barcelona in a wild Clasico at Valdebebas. Benzema’s superb piece of skill and a deflected Toni Kroos free-kick put Madrid in charge and while Oscar Mingueza pulled one back for Barca, they fell to defeat in what could be Lionel Messi’s final appearance in this fixture. Victory means Real Madrid go level on points with Atletico, with the top three now separated by a single point.

Atletico, without the injured Luis Suarez, face Real Betis on Sunday.

But Real Madrid now own the better head-to-head against both of their rivals while Barcelona and Atletico still have to play each other at Camp Nou in the run-in.

With Atletico stumbling and both Barca and Real Madrid hitting their stride, this game looked set to define, if not the title, then who would become favourites to be crowned champions in May.

The result was a riveting contest at a rain-soaked Alfredo di Stefano stadium – certainly one of the most exciting Clasicos in years – that saw both teams squander numerous chances, several efforts come back off the woodwork and Casemiro sent off in extra time.

With the last play of the game, Barcelona substitute Ilaix Moriba rattled Real Madrid’s crossbar.

“We’re still in it,” said Barca coach Ronald Koeman.

“We’ve lost a game against a team who is also fighting for the league but we have eight game left and we will fight to the end.”

Casemiro’s red card had also given Messi a free-kick and the chance for a dramatic equaliser but instead the Argentinian made it seven games now without a goal against Real Madrid, with many wondering if his 45th Clasico will be his last.

Messi might yet turn the tide in the eight games still remaining but there is no doubt Madrid are in the groove after backing up beating Liverpool 3-1 on Tuesday with another crucial victory.

They can finish the job in the Champions League at Anfield next week although Zinedine Zidane admitted afterwards his players are “physically at their limit”.

“It was a difficult game, the first half was ours, but we suffered in the second,” said Zidane. “We deserved the victory, because we had a lot of chances to score the third.”

A breathless first half began with chances for both sides as Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s sloppy clearance almost gave Benzema a clear run at goal before Messi slipped in Jordi Alba but the cross was intercepted by Thibaut Courtois.

Real Madrid’s opener came after a superb counter-attack from Barcelona, Messi going down too easily on the edge of the area, with Madrid pouring forward on the break.

Fede Valverde powered through midfield and fed wide to Lucas Vazquez, whose cross was expertly flicked inside the near post by Benzema.

The goal shook Barca, who were unable to restrain the speed of Madrid and particularly Vinicius Junior on the break.

Vinicius was brought down by Ronald Araujo on the edge of the area and Kroos’ free-kick cannoned off the back off Sergino Dest and in, evading the efforts of Alba to head away on the line.

Valverde and Messi both struck the post before half-time, Valverde after another scintillating Madrid counter-attack and Messi from a corner, with Courtois beaten.

Koeman brought Antoine Griezmann on for Dest but as the rain poured down, Madrid poured forward. Kroos and Benzema both could have scored a third and they were punished for failing to capitalise.

Griezmann jumped over Alba’s cross and as the ball skidded through, Mingueza did well to shin it into the net.

Araujo deflected Vinicius’ cross onto his own post and Alba was denied by Courtois. Again, Madrid tore away, again they missed the chance, Vinicius running onto Luka Modric’s pass but opting not to shoot, allowing Araujo to clear.

With 20 minutes left, Zidane took off Benzema, Vinicius and Kroos.

Referee Gil Manzano had to replace his equipment because of the rain. Messi changed his shirt for a dry one.

Barcelona wantd a late penalty when Ferland Mendy clipped Martin Braithwaite with his arm but the appeal was optimistic.

Casemiro was sent off in the 90th minute for a late challenge on Mingueza, that gave Messi a free-kick on the edge of the area but Courtois saved.

With Ter Stegen up and almost the last kick of the game, Ilaix rattled the crossbar. Madrid survived.

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DEMBELE STRIKES LATE AS BARCELONA EDGE REAL VALLADOLID TO CUT ATLETICO LEAD TO ONE POINT

Ousmane Dembele scored late to hand Barcelona all three points against Real Valladolid at the Camp Nou on Monday to cut Atletico Madrid’s La Liga lead to one.

The hosts struggled to create many chances in the first half and were denied shortly before the break when Valladolid keeper Jordi Masip went down and to his right to steer a well-hit Pedri shot off the post.

Lionel Messi fired just wide of the post on 70 minutes as Valladolid continued to frustrate Barcelona with time running out for Ronald Koeman’s side as they looked to pick up a crucial three points in the title race.

Barca were given the upper hand for the last 10 minutes of the match when Vallodild’s Oscar Plano was sent off with a straight red following his foul from behind on Dembele.

With time running out, Dembele pounced on a loose ball at the far post and hit a low volley past Plano to move his side up to 65 points from 29 games, one behind Atleti with nine games left to play in the season.

“This shows how difficult this league is and that we’ll have to really fight in every game to win it,” said Barca defender Clement Lenglet.

“We faced a great side who played out of their skin, it was a really difficult game for us but an important victory. This run is all down to hard work, things weren’t clicking for us earlier in the season but now they are.”

Valladolid keeper Masip said his side left the Camp Nou “with a bittersweet taste,” feeling pleased with their performance but aggrieved at not earning a point, especially after having Plano sent off.

“It’s a real shame that all that hard work was thrown away because of a one-off incident,” Masip said.

Real Madrid, who are in third place in La Liga on 63 points, host Barcelona in another edition of the Clasico on April 10 in a crunch match for both team’s title hopes.

“The team is capable of winning the games [left],” Koeman said. “But today has also shown you have to be at your best, you have to be clinical, you have to keep the team fresh, we lacked freshness today, maybe because of the international break. If we return to how we were before, we’re capable of winning our games.”

Koeman also weighed in on the future of match-winner Dembele, who has shown good form this season after a frustrating, injury-hit start to life at the Camp Nou since joining from Borussia Dortmund in 2017.

“Dembele’s an important player,” said Koeman. “He’s shown that today with his performance and above all with the goal that gave us three points.

“Ousmane’s development this season has been really good. Physically he’s improved a lot, I think that’s been the key to his quality and consistency to play so many games. So yes, if it’s up to me, I would like him to stay with us.”

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UCL: PSG DENY BARCELONA MIRACLE COME BACK AFTER 1-1 DRAW SEND SPANISH GIANT TO EARLY EXIT

Paris St Germain booked their spot in the Champions League quarter-finals as Barcelona were unable to mount another comeback for the ages – despite a Lionel Messi thunderbolt at the Parc des Princes.

A 4-1 defeat in the first leg meant Barca needed a miracle similar to the one they conjured four years ago at the Nou Camp when they overturned a 4-0 deficit against the same opponents at the same stage, but the LaLiga giants fell behind to Kylian Mbappe’s controversial penalty on the half hour.

Aged 22 years and 80 days, Mbappe became the youngest player to score 25 goals in Europe’s premier club competition, overtaking Messi, who made sure he was not upstaged even if Barca drew 1-1 to lose 5-2 on aggregate.

The Barca captain sensationally found the top corner in the 37th minute from distance to seemingly breathe fresh life into proceedings, but then saw his spot-kick saved by Keylor Navas on the stroke of half-time

Navas, who made more than 150 appearances for Real Madrid, made several telling interventions to deny Barca another fairytale fightback as they bowed out before the quarter-finals for the first time in 14 seasons.

PSG, who were once again without former Barca forward Neymar, banished the ghosts of the thrilling fixture in 2016-17, with Mbappe’s four goals going a long way to settling an absorbing tie in the Ligue 1 side’s favour.

There was no lack of endeavour from the visitors as they sought a route back and several chances in a breathless first half fell to Ousmane Dembele, who ultimately failed to take advantage of any of them.

Navas did well to get down low and push away a left-foot effort across goal but Dembele was otherwise guilty of poor finishing when well-set. Sergino Dest drove forward on the right but his strike was tipped on to the bar.

Mbappe had looked threatening but the opportunity to grab his landmark goal came courtesy of a contentious penalty decision, with Mauro Icardi going over in the area after Marc-Andre ter Stegen had gathered a loose cross.

Referee Anthony Taylor’s check with the video assistant referee highlighted Clement Lenglet brushing the heels of Icardi and, despite Barca’s protests, Mbappe gratefully converted the spot-kick, sending Ter Stegen the wrong way.

If it was supposed to be a knockout blow then Messi was unaware. The Argentinian shifted on to his left foot before letting fly from 30 yards, an astonishing strike that sailed past Navas and into the top corner.

Messi, however, would then fluff his lines after Layvin Kurzawa’s high boot on Antoine Griezmann in the box, with Navas rewarded for guessing the right way as the resulting penalty came off his legs before rebounding off the bar.

Barca had 16 shots at goal in the opening 45 minutes and they were on the front foot from the off after half-time although PSG were largely comfortable in repelling the intricate attacks around their area.

Messi managed to find space in the centre of goal eight yards from goal but a last-gasp intervention from Marquinhos managed to subdue the danger as the Barca talisman got his feet in a tangle.

Sergio Busquets had spent the evening making a nuisance of himself at set-pieces and his near post header from a corner had to be palmed away by Navas before the hosts scrambled clear.

Even as it became clear there was to be no way back for Barca – they needed three goals just to force extra-time – they continued to pour forward in the hope of at least winning on the night.

In the event they almost lost late on as Mbappe bore down on goal only to uncharacteristically slash his effort high and wide, but it hardly mattered as last year’s Champions League runners-up made it safely through.

While this was an encouraging display from Barca – who elected Joan Laporta as their new president on Sunday – their focus now turns back to their domestic fortunes.

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MESSI GRABS TWO ASSISTS AS BARCELONA MARCH ON WITH VICTORY AT OSASUNA

Barcelona continued their rampant run of domestic form to beat Osasuna 2-0 away from home on Saturday and move to within two points of La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid, with Lionel Messi setting up goals scored by Jordi Alba and teenager Ilaix Moriba.

Messi helped Barca take the lead on the half-hour mark when he carved open Osasuna’s defence with a superb cross-field ball to Alba, who controlled before blasting into the roof of the net.

He then laid the ball off when 18-year-old midfielder Ilaix struck in the 83rd minute, producing a confident finish inside the post from outside the area to score his first goal for the club in only his third league appearance.

The victory followed Barca’s heroic second leg comeback win over Sevilla to reach the Copa del Rey final on Wednesday and notched a 13th league win in 16 games, while they are unbeaten since losing at Cadiz on Dec. 5.

The Catalans stay second but moved on to 56 points after 26 games, two points behind Atletico Madrid who have played 24 matches and host third-placed Real Madrid on Sunday. Osasuna are 13th on 28.

“We just needed to keep on winning. It wasn’t our best performance but we played well and we deserved the win,” said Barca coach Ronald Koeman.

“We played with a lot of energy. We were tired, but we put in a professional performance and scored two great goals. I’m very happy, this is a very important run and I hope we stay on this path.”

Perhaps still feeling the effects of the 3-0 win over Sevilla after extra time, Barca took a while to settle and nearly went behind in the second minute. They were spared thanks to the first of three impressive saves from Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

The German had to scurry back to stop an audacious attempt from Osasuna’s Jonathan Calleri, who went for goal from his own half. He also made a truly outstanding save to deny Kike Barja later in the first period, flying to his top right hand corner and throwing up his left hand to swat the ball away.

With Barca then leading through Alba’s vicious strike, Ter Stegen rescued the visitors for a third time, denying midfielder Ruben Garcia from close range.

Having gone through a tumultuous campaign on and off the pitch this season, things are looking up for Barca, who will elect a new president in Sunday’s election.

They then head to France looking for another miraculous Champions League comeback against Paris St Germain for Wednesday’s last-16 second leg, looking to overturn a 4-1 deficit.

“We have to rest now and then we’ll prepare the game. I don’t want to say it’s impossible, and we’ll go there and try to get a good result,” Koeman added.

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FORMER BARCA PRESIDENT JOSEP BARTOMEU ARRESTED IN CLUB RAID

Former Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu was arrested on Monday as part of a police investigation into last year’s ‘Barcagate’ scandal, a source with knowledge of the case told AFP.

Bartomeu, who resigned as president in October, was among four arrests made just six days ahead of the club’s new presidential elections on Sunday.

Barcelona’s current chief executive Oscar Grau, head of legal services Roma Gomez Ponti and Bartomeu’s advisor Jaume Masferrer were also arrested by Catalan police, who searched the club’s offices on Monday morning.

Grau and Gomez Ponti were released late on Monday but Bartomeu and Masferrer would spend the night at a cell at a Barcelona police station before appearing before a judge on Tuesday, Spanish media reported.

Catalan police, the Mossos d’Esquadra, said in a statement the arrests were made as part of “an investigation into alleged crimes related to property and the socio-economic order” that has “been going on for almost a year”.

Barcelona released a statement confirming the operation is linked to last year’s ‘Barcagate’ controversy, when the club was accused of covering up payments made to a company called I3 Ventures, hired to boost the image of then-president Bartomeu on social media.

Part of the social media campaign included criticising current and former players, like Lionel Messi, Pep Guardiola and Xavi Hernandez. Messi described the controversy as “strange” in an interview with Catalan newspaper Mundo Deportivo.

“FC Barcelona have offered up their full collaboration to the legal and police authorities to help make clear facts which are subject to investigation,” the club said in its statement.

“The information and documentation requested by the judicial police force relate strictly to the facts relative to this case.”

Spanish radio station Cadena Ser claimed Barca paid I3 Ventures an inflated fee and put payments through in smaller, separate amounts to avoid the club’s financial controls.

Emili Rousaud, who resigned as Barcelona vice-president in March last year, said in an interview with RAC1 at the time: “If the auditors tell us the cost of these services is 100,000 euros and we have paid one million, it means someone has had their hand in the till.” The club took legal action against him.

Rousaud was among six Barca executives to leave their posts, with a joint letter citing the scandal as a key issue needing to be resolved.

Bartomeu maintained the company had been hired only to monitor posts on social media and announced an internal audit by PricewaterhouseCoopers, which cleared the club of financial corruption in July.

“Let one thing be clear,” Bartomeu said. “To the question: Have we commissioned the monitoring of social networks? The answer is yes.

“To the question: Have we commissioned to discredit people or institutions through social networks? The answer is no and we will take action against all those who accuse us of that.”

Yet Bartomeu resigned in October, avoiding a vote of no confidence triggered after more than 20,000 club members signed a petition against him.

His departure came in the same month Barcelona announced losses of 97 million euros ($114 million) for last season and debts that had more than doubled to 488 million euros.

As well as a series of political blunders, Bartomeu had also overseen a dramatic decline in performances on the pitch and a personal falling-out with Messi, who tried to leave for free last summer.

Messi accused the club of “always juggling everything and plugging gaps” under Bartomeu’s leadership.

Bartomeu’s successor is due to be elected on Sunday, when club members will choose between the final three candidates, Joan Laporta, Toni Freixa and Victor Font.

“In light of events that took place today, we express our respect for the police and the judiciary, and we defend the presumption of innocence. And we deeply regret that these events diminish the reputation of the club,” said Laporta.

“Too many people want to hurt Barca,” wrote Freixa on Twitter. “We will not allow it.”

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BARCELONA SEE OFF SEVILLA TO CLIMB UP TO SECOND

Barcelona rose to second in LaLiga after a dominant 2-0 defeat of fourth-placed Sevilla.

Ousmane Dembele fired Barcelona ahead in the first half before Lionel Messi wrapped up victory five minutes from time to sit two points behind leaders Atletico Madrid – who have two games in hand.

Barca were on the front foot from the first whistle, dominating early play with quick touches and the lion’s share of possession.

Those efforts produced the first real chance of the encounter in the 22nd minute when Dembele surged forward and cut inside before producing a left-footed shot that was blocked by Sevilla goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.

Seven minutes later, Dembele struck again, this time hitting the mark after picking up a Messi pass and jinking past two defenders before driving a shot through Bounou’s legs and into the far corner.

Barca pushed forward for a second goal in the 33rd minute with Frenkie De Jong finding Messi in the box but Bounou managed to block the visiting captain’s shot.

Sevilla’s first chance of the game then came in the 51st minute when Jesus Navas embarked on a run before cutting inside and shooting towards the near post, but Barca goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen saved down low.

Clement Lenglet thought he put his side 2-0 up when heading home a Messi free kick in the 69th minute, but the goal was correctly ruled out for offside.

A golden opportunity for Sevilla was denied when Youssef En-Nesyri thought he grabbed an equaliser after 80 minutes, but the referee deemed the ball to have been handled in the build-up and the effort was disallowed.

In the 85th minute, Messi doubled Barcelona’s lead after linking up with Ilaix Moriba on the left before tapping in beyond the reach of Bounou to secure his side’s victory.

The two sides will clash again on Wednesday in the Copa del Rey semi-final second leg at the Nou Camp, with Ronald Koeman’s side tasked with overturning a 2-0 goal deficit.

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MESSI SCORES RECORD BARCA GOAL BUT THE SPANISH GIANTS FALTER AGAINST CADIZ

Lionel Messi marked his latest Barcelona milestone with a goal against Cadiz as he surpassed club legend Xavi in the Camp Nou history books, but the Argentine was left frustrated by a late equaliser.

Messi fired in a 32nd-minute penalty to give Barca the lead in the home fixture against Cadiz on Sunday – converting calmly from 12 yards after Pedri was fouled in the box.

Cadiz scored a late penalty of their own through Alex Fernandez to earn a 1-1 draw, but Messi’s 21st goal of the season still capped a history-making occasion that saw him move ahead of Xavi as the player with the most La Liga appearances in the history of the club.

Messi has now appeared in 506 games in the Spanish top flight for the Blaugrana, one more than Xavi, who left Camp Nou back in 2015.

The six-time Ballon d’Or winner is also now closing in on his former team-mate’s all-time mark across all competitions of 767, with his latest outing against Cadiz taking him up to a grand total of 761.

Messi will almost certainly move ahead of Xavi before the season reaches its conclusion, which will only serve to cement his standing as Barca’s greatest ever player.

The 33-year-old is already the club’s all-time scorer with 654 goals to his name, and he has also won more trophies than any other player to have ever been on the books at Camp Nou (34).

Messi began his career at Barca way back in 2005, and has remained loyal to the club ever since despite attracting attention from just about every top club in Europe.

However, the Argentina international’s resolve has been tested in recent seasons amid the team’s inconsistent form, with an 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in last season’s Champions League proving to be the final straw.

Messi handed in a transfer request after that result, and although he ended up staying put for another season amid pressure from Barca and La Liga officials, his future remains very much up in the air.

Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City have been touted as possible next destinations for the Blaugrana captain, but he could also still decide to extend his stay at Camp Nou.

Messi’s contract is due to expire at the end of June, and he has publicly insisted he won’t make a final decision on his next move until the season ends.

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UCL: MBAPPE SCORES HATRICK AS PSG THRASH BARCELONA

Paris St Germain’s Kylian Mbappe scored a stunning hat-trick as his side overcame the absence of Neymar to thrash Barcelona 4-1 away in their Champions League last-16 first leg on Tuesday to move within full view of the quarter-finals.

Lionel Messi had blasted Barca ahead with a penalty in the first half but Mbappe pulled the French champions level with a classy piece of control and finishing to complete a flowing team move also involving Marco Verratti and Layvin Kurzawa.

Mbappe, who had not scored in the Champions League knockouts for two years before Tuesday, smashed PSG into the lead in the 65th minute while Moise Kean took advantage of some woeful Barca marking to head in a third goal for the visitors in the 70th.

The insatiable Mbappe looked hungry for more though and after being denied his third goal by Barca keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, he completed his treble in the 85th minute by curling the ball past the German into the top corner.

Barca overcame a 4-0 defeat to PSG in a last-16 first leg in 2017 by winning the second leg at home 6-1 and the Catalans now face another daunting task in turning this tie around when they visit the Parc des Princes on March 10th.

Barcelona went into the game crowing from a run of seven La Liga wins in a row but, while they were boosted by the return of serial winner Gerard Pique in defence after nearly three months out, they were blown away by Mauricio Pochettino’s side.

Mauro Icardi should have given last year’s runners-up the lead when he strolled through on goal but the Argentine scuffed his shot and Barca’s teenage midfielder Pedri recovered to clear.

Barca then got a lucky break when Frenkie de Jong was accidentally tripped by Layvin Kurzawa and Messi smashed his penalty beyond former Real Madrid keeper Keylor Navas to score a fourth goal in this season’s competition, all from spot-kicks.

PSG responded emphatically with their classy team goal after 32 minutes and should have gone ahead before the break when Kurzawa was thwarted by a fingertip save from Ter Stegen and Icardi headed just wide from a corner.

Barca had their moments too, Antoine Griezmann showing exceptional pace to sprint towards goal from the halfway line but landing his shot just wide of the far post.

The second half belonged to PSG though, and no player symbolised their confidence better than the resplendent Mbappe, who became the first player to score a visiting hat-trick at the Camp Nou since Andriy Shevchenko in 1997.

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Neymar Doubtful For PSG – Barcelona Champions League Clash

Neymar is in danger of missing Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League last-16 first leg against former club Barcelona after suffering a groin injury in Wednesday’s Coupe de France win over Caen.

The Ligue 1 champions go to the Camp Nou on Tuesday, before facing Barça in the return in Paris on 10 March.

Neymar was forced off shortly before the hour mark against Caen after a heavy challenge by defender Steeve Yago. 

Having immediately asked to be brought off, the Neymar was able to walk off the field and headed straight down the tunnel at the Stade Michel d’Ornano.

If his absence from the first leg against the Catalan giants is confirmed, the 29-year-old would be the second major PSG player to be ruled out in the run-up to the tie, after Ángel di María was sidelined by a thigh injury suffered in the 3-0 Ligue 1 victory over Nimes a week ago.

He will undergo tests on Thursday to ascertain the exact extent of his injury.

Speaking to reporters post-match, PSG head coach Mauricio Pochettino said: “It’s difficult to know how bad the injury is right now. We’ll see tomorrow. It’s difficult to say anything about it at the moment. I need more information […]. It’s an adductor problem.”

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Sevilla beat Barcelona in Lionel Messi’s 900th game

Messi had a quiet performance in his milestone match against the team he punished the most in his career, and Barcelona lost 2-0 in Seville in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals on Wednesday.

This time, in his 900th match, Lionel Messi didn’t have an answer for Sevilla.

Messi had a quiet performance in his milestone match against the team he punished the most in his career, and Barcelona lost 2-0 in Seville in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals on Wednesday.

Messi has scored more goals against Sevilla than against any other team — 37 in 41 games — but the Argentine great squandered a couple of chances as Sevilla won its eighth consecutive match in all competitions. Jules Koundé scored in the first half and former Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic added the second near the end.

The second leg will be on Feb. 27 at the Camp Nou Stadium in Barcelona. Athletic Bilbao hosts Levante on Thursday in the first leg of the other semifinal.

“There is still hope,” Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman said. “It will be complicated, but this team is capable of anything.”

Sevilla and Barcelona entered the semis as the hottest teams in Spain. The Catalan club was coming off six straight wins in all competitions.

“We are at halftime of a match of 180 minutes,” Sevilla coach Julen Lopetegui said. “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 teams played in the Copa final in 2016 and 2018, with Barcelona coming out on top both times. The Catalan club is trying to make it to its ninth final in 11 years. It made it to the last four nine straight times before being eliminated by Athletic in the quarterfinals last season.

Barcelona controlled possession but it struggled to create many significant chances at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán Stadium, with Sevilla goalkeeper Bono stopping the few efforts he faced. Sevilla constantly threatened on counterattacks, especially after opening the scoring in the first half.

Messi, making his 758th appearance with Barcelona to add to his 142 with Argentina, commanded the attack but failed to capitalize on his chances, including one with only Bono to beat in the 11th minute. He nearly scored with a stoppage-time free kick that again was stopped by Bono.

Messi had been rested in the Spanish league game against Real Betis on Sunday, when he came off the bench in the second half to lead the team to a come-from-behind victory.

Koundé put Sevilla ahead in the 25th with a nice run that culminated with him slipping the ball in between the legs of Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti before shooting into the net from inside the area.

Rakitic sealed the victory in an 85th-minute breakaway, beating goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen with a shot into the top of the net. The midfielder didn’t celebrate the goal against his former club.

Koeman was without three players because of injuries — Martin Braithwaite, Sergiño Dest and Miralem Pjanic. Lopetegui was without injured players Lucas Ocampos and Jesús Navas.