Out of all the people to score the winner it had to be Pedro. The want-away winger entered the game in the extra time to net the winner in the 115th minute in a see-saw match that saw Sevilla come back from 4-1 deficit.
The festivities began in the 3rd minute when Ever Banega scored a wonderful curling free-kick to jump start a game that would see nine goals in all.
Not four minutes later Messi decided to input his mark on the game with a beautiful free-kick of his own from just outside the box as Barca leveled the score. That wasn’t enough for the diminutive Argentine, though, as he sent a bending free-kick eight minutes later into the top left corner leaving Beto with no chance whatsoever.
The first half was dominated by Barcelona and just when it looked like Sevilla would go to the break only down by one goal, Suarez found the youngster Rafinha with a clever nutmeg through pass in the 44th minute for the 3-1 half time lead.
The Uruguay superstar would add to the lead in the 52nd minute thanks to a terrible pass by the Sevilla left back Tremoulinas as the game seemed to be all but done at this point.
The only people in the stadium who weren’t ready to give up were the Sevilla players as they started the unlikeliest of comebacks almost right thereafter.
Jose Antonio Reyes scored just five minutes later to give Unai Emery’s men a glimpse of hope when he side-footed a brilliant Vitolo cross.
Jeremy Mathieu dragged the aforementioned Vitolo in the 72nd minute and Kevin Gameiro stepped up confidently to dispatch a well taken penalty, in an otherwise forgettable game for the now first choice French striker.
Sevilla’s comeback was complete nine minutes later when their most notable of summer signings (albeit a free one) – Yevhen Konoplyanka – leveled the game with the easiest of tap ins following a precise pass by another new signing Ciro Immobile.
The game seemed to taper off a bit in the extra time until Pedro’s goal five minutes from time won the game for the Catalan giants. Messi’s free kick bounced off the wall and his follow-up attempt was saved brilliantly by Beto, only for Pedro to be the quickest to react and send the ball into the roof of the net from 2 yards out.
Sevilla had two late chances to equalise and even win it, but Koke’s header just missed the net and Rami’s awkward knee attempt from close range just whizzed by Ter Stegen’s right post.
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