Three quick thoughts from Barcelona's 3-0 La Liga win over Sevilla at the Camp Nou on Wednesday.

1. Barcelona blow away sorry Sevilla

Led by Lionel Messi, Barcelona scored three first-half goals at a damp Camp Nou on Wednesday to beat Sevilla 3-0, effectively ending any lingering hopes Jorge Sampaoli's side had of being in the shake-up for the top spot at the end of the season.

A few weeks ago it looked as if this game would be key in the race for the title. Sevilla had announced themselves as genuine threats to Barca and Real Madrid, but by the time the half-time whistle blew, they looked a beaten team.

Messi scored two and created the other for Luis Suarez -- the league's two top goal scorers with 27 and 23, respectively -- as the Catalan side once again demonstrated that their switch to a back three allows them to be much more dangerous in attack. If that was possible.

It comes with risks, of course. Even in the first half, when Sevilla looked lost, they still created chances, and had even more openings in the second half. Barca goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, though, was never overly troubled.

The tone was set in the fourth minute when Messi hit the bar out of nothing, and Barca's three first-half goals arrived in an eight-minute period.

Playing at the tip of a four-man midfield, the Argentine found himself back on the right wing after 25 minutes and was able to shake off his markers before crossing for Suarez. It wasn't the easiest chance for the Uruguayan, but he improvised superbly, as he often does, flicking the ball over keeper Sergio Rico with a clever overhead kick.

Suarez then turned creator as Messi finished an incisive break, which had been led by Ivan Rakitic. Neymar was also involved, squaring for Suarez, who was able to pick out Messi when others may have been tempted to shoot.

Sevilla's misery continued in the 33rd minute when they failed to clear a corner, allowing Messi to volley home from inside the area.

Sampaoli's side improved in the second half, which, at times, Barca played at half-gas. That allowed Sevilla to play in and around the home side's box, and only key interventions from Javier Mascherano and Ter Stegen ensured a clean sheet for the Blaugrana.

Vitolo was sent off in stoppage time as Sevilla's frustration -- at themselves more than anything -- boiled over.

Barca, meanwhile, appear to be clicking into form at just the right time, and this win allows them to continue dreaming of ending manager Luis Enrique's era with another Treble.

2. Fresh Messi torments Sevilla again

Barca released a statement in support of Messi after he was handed a four-game international ban last week, but secretly they would be forgiven for feeling it's not the worst thing to happen to them.

Messi subsequently missed Argentina's loss to Bolivia in La Paz and was then suspended for Barca's win over Granada at the weekend because he picked up his fifth yellow card before the international break. Against Sevilla, therefore, he was well-rested and raring to go.

This new formation allows him to effectively pop up wherever he chooses. Primarily, Messi is based just behind Suarez but has the freedom to move around, and often does. Usually Messi finds himself on the right, and that's where he did the damage when he created the opening goal for Suarez.

Both his goals, though, came in the box. So while he drops deep, to the right, and dictates play, he hasn't lost that sense of being in the right place at the right time. His first strike was a case of that, tapping home from Suarez's cross, and his second goal was an impressive volley from inside the area.

He has 29 goals in 30 career games against Sevilla -- more than against any other side -- but they're unlikely to be the last team he tears apart this season. It's unlikely he'll admit as much, but a mini-break has done him well. And avoiding that trip to La Paz may well prove a massive boost in Barca's bid for titles.

3. Sevilla slump shows no signs of halting

A run of five consecutive Sevilla wins was ended by Alaves at the beginning of March, and Sevilla have been unable to recover their mojo since. Memories of an exciting, last-gasp win against Real Madrid in January have long since disappeared, and Sevilla's defeat Wednesday extended their winless run to six games -- during which time they've been dumped out of the Champions League by Leicester City.

Few expected Sampaoli's side to return to winning ways against a Barca side that seem to have the bit between their teeth again, but no one expected them to be three goals down at half-time in the Camp Nou rain.

It's a slump they seem unable to halt. They had chances in the opening period -- Steven N'Zonzi wasted one particularly good opportunity -- but there was neither the zest nor the pressing that looked to have propelled them into a three-thronged title race with Barca and Real Madrid little more than a month ago. Sevilla improved after the break, but the gig was already up.

So instead of looking up, they are now looking over their shoulders. This defeat leaves them 11 points behind second-place Barcelona and three behind Atletico Madrid, who have usurped Sevilla in third place. A seven-point cushion on Villarreal should be enough to keep Sevilla in the Champions League spots for next season, but there are some serious doubts at the moment.

Meanwhile, this will likely be the final dagger in Sampaoli's faltering hopes of replacing Enrique, who is departing Barcelona after the season. Sampaoli never said as much, but it's widely accepted that he'd love to take on the job at Barca -- who wouldn't? But despite early support from the Catalan club's supporters, this Sevilla slump has provided the perfect excuse for the Blaugrana board to rule him out.

Source:
courtesy of ESPNFC

by SAMUEL MARSDEN

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