Enrique's Shadow Play: Behind Barcelona's Collapse at Sevilla

What happened in Seville

Barcelona suffered a heavy defeat at Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan as Sevilla delivered their best performance of the season, buoyed by a roaring home crowd and a compact, aggressive game plan.

The Blaugrana failed to find rhythm from the opening minutes, while Sevilla pressed high, won duels and dictated the tempo, earning their first win at this stadium this season.

The coach Hans Flick, trusting a renewed setup, said after the game that the aim remains to control and possess the ball, but admitted the first half did not reflect this. He pledged to study the match during the international break and return sharper.

The Spanish newspaper Sport noted striking scenes on Flick's bench and on the touchline, where staff reacted with visible emotion as the match unfolded.

As usual, the video-analysis unit sat higher up, scanning phases for later drills. Flick has repeatedly emphasized the value of close colleagues who can interpret the data and translate it into practice, a habit reminiscent of Enrique's famous “high platform” approach at times when Paris Saint‑Germain pressed deep into games.

On the bench and the refereeing moment

During the game, German analyst Stefan Nob joined Flick on a direct invitation and sat behind the press area, voicing his frustration at several tactical errors and at decisions taken by the referee and his assistants in German with Hassemann and the rest of the staff.

This exchange highlighted that Barcelona's tactical work extends beyond the dugout to the video room, where the team studies patterns and responses for training and halftime adjustments.

Flick has stressed the importance of relying on his trusted aides, with Nob seen as a key ally in shaping the team's approach. Technically, Barcelona failed to link lines, lacked rhythm, and did not create enough numerical advantages through movement, as Pedri and Frenkie de Jong sought support from attackers but could not unlock Sevilla's compact block.

Sevilla's plan, well executed, stifled Barcelona's attempts to find space and time on the ball, and the Andalusian side delivered a performance that looked like their best of the season on their turf.

After the final whistle, Flick explained that the aim is to control the ball, but the first half did not reflect that reality. He urged calm and patience, saying he would analyze the reasons for the slow start during the break and return ready to compete for all prizes.

Barça's fans continued to cheer their team despite the heavy atmosphere, demonstrating loyalty on a tough evening. The players walked toward the stands to salute the supporters, who stood behind them in every moment.

At the same time, the match sparked a familiar chorus: “Always against us” from Aráujo's locker room mutterings, paraphrasing the players' sense of grievance over contentious calls in the first 45 minutes.

The DAZN audio leak later revealed a heated review between the video official Del Cerro Grande and Munié Ruiz, with decisions and angles debated intensely. The dialogue underscored the ongoing controversy over how VAR is applied in big games involving Barcelona.

Flick tried to defuse the tension, noting that the team must learn to deal with refereeing decisions and maintain focus. He admitted the first half was not good enough, and he pointed to Sevilla's aggression as a major factor. In the second half, Barça improved and showed a better reaction, but the coach refused to lean on excuses and insisted that his side will fight for every competition, from the Copa to the league and the Champions League.

In the stands, the Barcelona supporters remained vocal, while the players, despite everything, showed resolve and respect for their fans by applauding them after the final whistle, reaffirming their loyalty in difficult circumstances.

And yes, if you thought the night couldn't get stranger, here are a couple of light lines: always remember football is a game of inches, but the snack bar is a solid 20 minutes away from the center circle. And one more: if Barcelona's pressing were a clock, it would be perpetually running one minute late—classic Enriqué, or perhaps just the ball finding the offside line first. And finally, a reminder: in football, even legends can take a timeout at the international break—sometimes the best tactic is a short nap.