SEVILLE • Sevilla have not won La Liga since 1945-46 and Barcelona may have put paid to their slim title hopes on Saturday, while boosting their own chances.
The Catalans ended the hosts' six-game winning run in the Spanish league with a 2-0 away victory to provisionally climb above champions Real Madrid into second spot on 53 points, two behind leaders Atletico Madrid, who played at Villarreal yesterday.
Sevilla, fourth in La Liga on 48 points, can avenge the defeat on Wednesday when they head to the Nou Camp for the second leg of their King's Cup semi-final - they hold a 2-0 lead in the tie. But Barca will also draw confidence after goals from Ousmane Dembele and Lionel Messi saw off the hosts.
Barca defender Gerard Pique said: "I'm so proud of the team, we have had some big setbacks recently but we have bounced back and today, we showed that we're still very much alive.
"We have a great squad that is good enough to compete with anyone and on Wednesday, we'll give them a real battle. The title race is on, we have come back from far worse situations before."
Barca coach Ronald Koeman added: "This was a complete performance from us. We had the mentality to press them for 95 minutes, and that was the key thing."
Meanwhile, Valencia's Gabriel Paulista broke down in tears during a post-match interview on Saturday when it was suggested his side were in a relegation fight after a 3-0 away defeat by Getafe left them six points above La Liga's drop zone.
Asked what it was like to go from challenging for the top four to scrapping for their lives with just three wins in 16 league games, the Brazilian defender lost his composure.
"Hearing that is terrible, when you consider how big a club Valencia are and then to hear (about the threat of relegation) is awful," he said.
Despite reaching the last 16 of the Champions League last season, Valencia, who are owned by Singaporean billionaire Peter Lim, are floundering in 14th place in La Liga after selling several key players in the summer. The 1985-86 season was the last and only time the club have gone down.
REUTERS
