Sevilla finally confirmed their place in La Liga's top four on Sunday as a late equaliser by Youssef En-Nesyri snatched a 1-1 draw against Atletico Madrid to secure their qualification for the Champions…
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Sevilla double leaves Barca with mountain to climb in Copa del Rey Madrid (AFP) – Barcelona’s hopes of winning the Copa del Rey this season were left hanging by a thread on Wednesday after Sevilla won the first leg of their semi-final 2-0.
Jules Kounde furthered his growing reputation as one of the world’s most exciting central defenders by scoring a stunning goal at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan before Ivan Rakitic came back to haunt his former club by adding a second late on.
The 22-year-old Kounde dribbled past three Barca defenders and shot into the corner while Rakitic’s strike turned a setback for Ronald Koeman’s side into what now looks like a formidable challenge to make the final.
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Published 11 February 2021
Barcelona’s hopes of winning the Copa del Rey this season were left hanging by a thread on Wednesday after Sevilla won the first leg of their semi-final 2-0.
Jules Kounde furthered his growing reputation as one of the world’s most exciting central defenders by scoring a stunning goal at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan before Ivan Rakitic came back to haunt his former club by adding a second late on.
The 22-year-old Kounde dribbled past three Barca defenders and shot into the corner while Rakitic’s strike turned a setback for Ronald Koeman’s side into what now looks like a formidable challenge to make the final.
Sevilla soon settled and went close themselves – Kounde's first-time effort from 20 yards spinning just wide.
But the young Frenchman found the target five minutes later, the centre-back cheekily nutmegging Samuel Umtiti on the edge of the Barca box after a trademark buccaneering run before firing past Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
The German goalkeeper showed his class to keep the score 1-0 just before half-time, pushing Sergio Escudero's ferocious goal-bound effort over.
Umtiti made a vital intervention to deny Youssef En-Nesyri a one-on-one opportunity early in the second 45, and soon after Bounou once again thwarted Messi, turning his effort around the post.