Lewandowski Extends Scoring Streak as Barcelona Routs Sevilla Ahead of ‘Clasico’ against Real Madrid

Football - LaLiga - FC Barcelona v Sevilla - Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, Barcelona, Spain - October 20, 2024 FC Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski celebrates scoring their first goal. (Reuters)
Football - LaLiga - FC Barcelona v Sevilla - Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, Barcelona, Spain - October 20, 2024 FC Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski celebrates scoring their first goal. (Reuters)
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Lewandowski Extends Scoring Streak as Barcelona Routs Sevilla Ahead of ‘Clasico’ against Real Madrid

Football - LaLiga - FC Barcelona v Sevilla - Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, Barcelona, Spain - October 20, 2024 FC Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski celebrates scoring their first goal. (Reuters)
Football - LaLiga - FC Barcelona v Sevilla - Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, Barcelona, Spain - October 20, 2024 FC Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski celebrates scoring their first goal. (Reuters)

Robert Lewandowski scored two more goals to extend his league-leading tally to 12 and Barcelona routed Sevilla 5-1 to open a three-point gap on Real Madrid ahead of next weekend’s “clasico.”

Pedri and Pablo Torre also scored Sunday for the Catalan club, which restored its lead of LaLiga a day after second-place Madrid won 2-1 at Celta Vigo.

Barcelona midfielder Gavi came off the bench to replace Pedri in the 83rd minute, making his return to action nearly a year after a serious knee injury.

“I had been dreaming about this moment for several months,” Gavi said. “It’s tough to watch from the outside. I have to enjoy every moment. I feel very lucky to be here today.”

Barcelona will play Madrid on Saturday at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. Both teams have Champions League matches midweek — Madrid hosts Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday and Barcelona hosts Bayern Munich on Wednesday.

“This was an important win considering the matches that we have ahead,” Pedri said. “We had to leave with a good feeling and the three points.”

Lewandowski scored twice in the first half against the visitors, first by converting a 24th-minute penalty kick and then by finding the net from close range in the 39th.

The Poland striker was coming off a hat trick at Alaves in the previous league round, and had scored twice in the team’s win over Young Boys in the Champions League. He has 14 goals in 11 matches in all competitions this season.

Lewandowski, who received a standing ovation when he was substituted in the 65th, nearly got his hat track against Sevilla in a one-on-one situation in the first half.

Pedri scored with a curling shot from outside the area in the 28th and Torre added to the lead from inside the area in the 82nd and with a free kick in the 88th. Raphinha had a 49th-minute goal disallowed for offside.

Barcelona has outscored its league opponents 33-10 this season.

Sevilla, which had no attempts on target in the first half, scored its lone goal in the 87th with 19-year-old substitute Stanis Idumbo.

Barcelona also saw Lamine Yamal return from a muscle strain that saw him leave Spain’s squad during the international break.

Barcelona defender Eric García hurt a muscle in the team’s warmup and did not play.



Club World Cup: Al-Hilal Bows Out After a Run That ‘Exceeded Expectations’

Al-Hilal exits Club World Cup after Quarter-Final loss to Fluminense. (SPA)
Al-Hilal exits Club World Cup after Quarter-Final loss to Fluminense. (SPA)
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Club World Cup: Al-Hilal Bows Out After a Run That ‘Exceeded Expectations’

Al-Hilal exits Club World Cup after Quarter-Final loss to Fluminense. (SPA)
Al-Hilal exits Club World Cup after Quarter-Final loss to Fluminense. (SPA)

Al-Hilal exited from the 2025 Club World Cup yesterday, following a 2-1 defeat to Brazil's Fluminense in their quarter-final match.

Substitute Hercules scored his second goal in as many second-half appearances to lift Fluminense into the FIFA Club World Cup semifinals with a 2-1 quarterfinal win over Al Hilal on Friday in Orlando, Fla.

Martinelli also scored late in the first half to continue a fabulous tournament for the Rio de Janeiro club and Brazil overall. Palmeiras also got to the quarterfinals before falling 2-1 on Friday to Chelsea, who will oppose Fluminense on Tuesday in a semifinal match at East Rutherford, N.J.

Al Hilal exits despite a fourth tournament goal for striker Marcos Leonardo, who was in for the injured Aleksandar Mitrovic.

The Saudi side was the last from Asia remaining, having pulled off the tournament's biggest upset with a 4-3, extra-time victory over Manchester City in the second round on Monday.

Hercules put Fluminense in front for good in the 70th minute when he was rewarded for his own persistence.

After his first long-range shot was deflected high into the air, he continued his run forward as teammate Samuel Xavier won the next header.

It landed at the feet of Hercules, whose wonderful first touch put him in shooting position before his second sent a right-footed shot into the bottom left corner, prompting jubilation from yet another pro-Brazilian crowd at this tournament.

Al Hilal pressured Fluminense in the dying stages, but couldn't create a clear look on Fabio's net.

Martinelli put Fluminense in front in the 40th minute on a brilliant strike. His first touch took Gabriel Fuentes' pass beyond a charging Al Hilal defender, and his second unleashed a ferocious left-footed shot that beat goalkeeper Yassine Bounou to the top right corner from about 15 yards.

A minute into first-half stoppage time, Fluminense keeper Fabio sprawled to his left to push Kalidou Koulibaly's powerful header beyond the post.

After nearly leveling before halftime, Koulibaly won another dangerous header six minutes into the second half from a corner.

This time it landed at the feet of Leonardo, who balanced himself and scooped a finish from close range past Fabio and two defenders on the line.

It remained level four minutes later when Bounou sprawled to his right to take the ball off the feet of German Cano trying to round him on the dribble after intercepting a pass deep in the attacking half.

Liverpool FC and Portugal national team star Diogo Joto and his brother Andre Silva, who died Thursday in Spain in a car accident, were honored with a pregame moment of silence.