First Division - Day 37

Sevilla 2 - Barcelona 3

Sevilla: Palop; Konko, Fazio (Squillaci 26'), Escudé, Adriano (Lolo 67'); Jesús Navas, Zokora, Renato (Stankevicius 60'), Diego Capel; Kanouté, Luis Fabiano. 4-4-2.
Barcelona: Víctor Valdés; Dani Alves, Puyol, Piqué, Maxwell (Abidal 66'); Xavi (Touré Yaya 86'), Busquets, Keita; Messi, Bojan (Jeffren 91'),Pedro. 4-3-3.

Goals:
0-1. 05. Messi. Picked up Maxwell pass and cut across area to score.
0-2. 28. Bojan. Ran on to Xavi pass and fired angled shot across Palop.
0-3. 62. Pedro. Poked long shot wide of keeper after Messi shot blocked.
1-3. 68. Kanouté. Collected Luis Fabiano pass and fired shot wide of Valdés.
2-3. 71. Luis Fabiano. Ran on to quick Zokora free kick and shot past keeper.

Yellow cards: Konko 10', 55', Busquets 21', Luis Fabiano 29', Zokora 41', Pedro 43', Maxwell 53', Lolo 73', Capel 77', Bojan 86', Valdés 92' / red cards: Konko 55'.

Leaders Barcelona stay a point ahead of Real Madrid after a 2-3 victory at Sevilla on a synchronized Saturday night, and a win at home against Valladolid next week will see them retain the league title.

Pep Guardiola's side appeared to have everything wrapped up with three goals in the first hour, Messi starting things off as early as the fifth minute after Maxwell put him through to make it 45 for the season in all. And twenty minutes later Bojan ran on to Xavi's clever pass to turn a shot past Palop and put his side two up.

The locals were left with ten men when Konko picked up a second booking soon after the restart, and when Pedro poked a third past the keeper it seemed there was no way back for the Andalusians. But six minutes later Kanouté ran on to a Luis Fabiano pass to beat Valdés, and three minutes later Luis Fabiano took advantage of a quickly taken Zokora free kick to narrow the gap to one goal.

Pedro could have restored the two goal lead a few minutes later, but Piqué was lucky to be let off a penalty appeal on Kanouté, and the result was doubt until the final whistle. A set-back for Sevilla in their push for the Champions League spots, although they hold on to fourth place after Mallorca lost 1-0 at Deportivo.