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Raphinha bagged a hat-trick as Barcelona thrashed Sevilla 5-2 to restore their four-point lead at the top of La Liga. After Real Madrid cut the gap by beating Elche on Saturday, the Spanish champions responded by romping to a comfortable victory.
Dani Olmo and João Cancelo also struck for Hansi Flick’s side, who host Newcastle in the Champions League on Wednesday. Fans streamed to the stadium to vote in the club’s presidential elections, with either Joan Laporta or Victor Font to be announced the new chief later on Sunday night.
After the 1-1 draw in Newcastle in the last-16 first leg, Flick left Lamine Yamal on the bench and handed 18-year-old Xavi Espart his first start, at right-back. Barcelona were handed two penalties by a sorry Sevilla side to get off to the perfect start at the partially rebuilt Camp Nou, which finally received clearance to open the north stand.
Around 56,000 fans attended and they were able to watch a fairly straightforward rout of the Andalucian side. Djibril Sow clumsily clipped a rampaging Cancelo in the box and Raphinha dinked home from the spot to open the scoring in the ninth minute.
The Brazilian winger was afforded another penalty to put Barça two goals up when José Ángel Carmona, lying on the floor, handled as Cancelo tried to dribble around him. This time Raphinha fired it low to the left and although Odysseas Vlachodimos went the right way he could not keep it out.
The hosts scored a third in the 38th minute when Marc Bernal’s deflected cross from the left found Olmo, who produced a clinical finish. Sevilla pulled one back before the break when Juanlu Sánchez got in behind Cancelo and crossed for Oso to score unmarked at the back post.
Raphinha completed his hat-trick early in the second half with a heavily deflected shot as Barça strolled in the spring sunshine. Cancelo capped an impressive attacking display with a goal of his own, driving into the box and finishing through Vlachodimos’s legs.
Flick sent on 21-year-old midfielder Gavi for the final 10 minutes, for his first appearance since August after suffering a severe knee injury. Sow pulled another one back for Sevilla in stoppage time, nodding home Oso’s cross, with Barcelona already thinking about Newcastle’s visit on Wednesday.
Como remained in the hunt for a first appearance in the Champions League after beating 10-man Roma 2-1 in Serie A.
Trailing at the break to Donyell Malen’s early penalty, Como showed why they have shaken things up in Italy’s top flight by coming back to beat a key rival for the final spot in Europe’s elite club competition.
Cesc Fabregas’s tiny but wealthy team are fourth, a point above Juventus thanks to Tasos Douvikas’ low drive in the 59th minute and Diego Carlos – who gave away Roma’s penalty – poking home the winner in front of delighted home fans 20 minutes later.
Between those two goals Roma defender Wesley was sent off for two bookable offences as the away side failed to deal with an onslaught in the second half.
Como have never played European football in their history but there is a real chance that Champions League football might be played at the tiny Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia, in view of one of the world’s most famous lakes.
Substitute Vitinha and Leo Ostigard scored in Genoa’s 2-0 win at bottom-place Verona as Daniele De Rossi’s side moved even further away from the relegation zone.
Genoa are 13th with 33 points after 29 rounds, nine points above 18th-place Cremonese.
Pisa claimed only their second league win of the season despite being reduced to 10 men in the 37th minute against Cagliari when Rafiu Durosinmi was sent off. Antonio Caracciolo scored twice in a 3-1 victory with Cagliari also finishing with 10 men following Adam Obert’s late dismissal for a second yellow card.
Bologna beat Sassuolo 1-0, with Thijs Dallinga scoring early in the game.
Lyon’s bid for automatic Champions League qualification suffered another blow in a 0-0 draw at 10-man Le Havre in Ligue 1.
Paulo Fonseca’s men have gone four league games without a win to slip from the fringes of the title race to fourth, two points behind Marseille.
Le Havre had Stephan Zagadou sent off 10 minutes in to the second half but Lyon mustered just one shot on target in a tame display and are now only four points clear of fifth-placed Monaco and sixth-placed Rennes.
Gary O’Neil’s Strasbourg fell six points off the European places after a goalless stalemate with Paris FC.
Toulouse ended a six-match winless run in the league as Mario Sauer scored a dramatic 99th-minute winner in a 4-3 victory at bottom club Metz.
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