Soccer Football - LaLiga - FC Barcelona v Sevilla - Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, Barcelona, Spain - October 20, 2024 FC Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski scores their third goal REUTERS/Albert Gea
BARCELONA (Reuters) -Robert Lewandowski and substitute Pablo Torre each scored twice to help leaders Barcelona thrash visitors Sevilla 5-1 in LaLiga on Sunday in a confidence boost for Hansi Flick's side ahead of key clashes against Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.
Barca were dominant throughout the encounter at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium and effectively killed off the game with three goals in 15 first-half minutes starting with a Lewandowski penalty after Raphinha was fouled from behind in the 24th minute.
Pedri fired a bullet strike from the edge of the box into the top corner to double their lead four minutes later and Lewandowski slotted home a first-time effort from close range to net the third for the Catalan side in the 39th minute.
It was another superb performance from Barca's attacking trio of Lamine Yamal, Lewandowski and captain Raphinha who have scored 21 of Barca’s 33 LaLiga goals this season.
Polish striker Lewandowski has reached 12 league goals in 10 games, double the amount of Kylian Mbappe and Ayoze Perez who are the joint second highest scorers in LaLiga.
In the second half, Torre climbed off the bench to score the fourth with a shot from inside the box in the 82nd minute and, right after Stanis Idumbo netted a consolation for Sevilla in the 87th, he wrapped up the scoring with a free kick into the far corner.
Barcelona are on top of the LaLiga standings on 27 points, three ahead Real Madrid in second and seven clear of Atletico Madrid in third. Sevilla are 13th on 12 points.
"Winning like this is very important for the games to come," Pedri told Movistar Plus.
"Today we had to leave with more than just the three points, we needed that good feeling we got. The coach told us that there was going to be spaces at the edge of the box and we took advantage of that."
Following a disappointing first LaLiga defeat at Osasuna, Barca have earned back-to-back league wins.
Their victory over Sevilla was their ninth in 10 LaLiga games this season, as they prepare for a difficult week when they will host Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday before travelling to face rivals Real Madrid in LaLiga on Saturday.
They were missing several key players on Sunday who were sidelined by injuries, including Ronald Araujo, Andreas Christensen, Ferran Torres and Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
Yet they had a big reason to celebrate as talisman midfielder Gavi came off the bench in the second half to play his first minutes after 348 days out with a torn knee ligament.
(Reporting by Fernando KallasEditing by Toby Davis)
