Copa del Rey: Sevilla beat Barca in semi-final first leg
Sevilla took a massive 2-0 lead against Barcelona in the first leg of their semi-final clash in the Copa del Rey. Jules Kounde and former Barca mid-fielder Ivan Rakitic scored a goal each to help Sevilla win the match. Lionel Messi came close to snatching an away goal for Barca, but was denied by Bono. Here we present the details.
Kounde and Rakitic score for Sevilla against Barca
The match saw Kounde open the score in the 25th minute as he ran from his own penalty area, beating four Barcelona players and confidently firing past Marc-Andre ter Stegen. The experienced Rakitic - who left Barca at the end of August after winning 11 trophies - scored the second with a thumping finish into the roof of the net.
Sevilla will look to go unbeaten against Barca this season
The two sides met earlier in La Liga and things ended 1-1 at the Camp Nou. Sevilla's win means they go into the second leg with a lot of belief. The match is slated to be played on March 3. Prior to that, Sevilla host Barca in La Liga at the end of this month.
Kounde smashes a unique record against Barca
As per Opta, Kounde became just the third defender to register a goal and complete 50+ passes (63) in a single game against Barcelona across competitions since 2013-14. Medhi Benatia (68) and Sergio Ramos (53) achieved the tally earlier in 2015 and 2020 respectively.
Yassine Bounou delivers the goods for Sevilla
Sevilla keeper Yassine Bounou has kept a clean sheet in each of his eight games in the Copa del Rey. As per Opta, Bounou has saved all 18 shots on target he has faced, including four versus Barcelona.
