Sevilla vs Barcelona. Spanish Copa del Rey Quarter Final.
Ramon Sanchez PizjuanAttendance38,403.
Kevin-Prince Boateng makes debut for Barca
Wednesday 23 January 2019 23:07, UK
Sevilla produced a brilliant second-half display to beat Barcelona 2-0 in the first leg of their Copa del Rey quarter-final.
After an even first 45 minutes, strikes from Pablo Sarabia and Wissam Ben Yedder stunned the Catalans and left them needing a second-leg comeback at the Camp Nou for the second consecutive round in the competition.
Barca, who earlier in the day announced the signing of Frenkie de Jong from Ajax, handed a debut to loan signing Kevin-Prince Boateng.
Denis Suarez left out of Barca squad
Yet it was Sevilla - spurred on by a raucous home crowd - who looked the more threatening throughout.
The Andalusian side were incensed when a Video Assistant Referee review deemed Barca's Arturo Vidal had not handled Ever Banega's cross after half an hour, with replays indicating the ball had struck the upper part of the Chilean's arm.
A persistent threat throughout, Ben Yedder fired narrowly wide after a mesmeric solo run, before being denied by a smart save from Barca keeper Jasper Cillessen.
At the other end, Malcom fired wide after rounding Sevilla keeper Juan Soriano against the run of play on the stroke of half-time.
It was all Sevilla after the break, and Pablo Machin's side took a deserved lead just before the hour. Quincy Promes drove down the left before crossing for Sarabia, who fired in from six metres out.
French forward Ben Yedder then doubled their lead from close range with quarter of an hour to go.
He celebrated by lifting his shirt to reveal the message "For my brother Sala", in reference to Argentine striker Emiliano Sala, who is currently missing after the plane he was travelling on disappeared over the English channel.
The second leg takes place next Wednesday, while Espanyol take on Real Betis and Real Madrid host Girona on Thursday in the remaining quarter-final first legs after Getafe defeated Valencia 1-0 on Tuesday.
