Barcelona don't look poor by any stretch of the imagination through 25 minutes at the Camp Nou, but they also do not look like themselves. Pep Guardiola's decisions to drop Pedro and Sergio Busquets to the bench has proven ill-advised thus far, as Seydou Keita and Thiago Alcantara haven't provided the same kind of punch. Lionel Messi picked up a knock early and has continued, but looks just a half step off the pace. Xavi and Andres Iniesta have been brilliant, but David Villa hasn't worked off the ball to make their lives easier. It's 0-0, and Barcelona don't look like scoring.
Barcelona Vs. Sevilla Live, 2011 La Liga: Blaugranes On Front Foot, But Little Happening Early
This isn't to take anything away from Sevilla, who have defended brilliantly. They've also created a couple of spectacular chances, with Jesus Navas forcing two stunning saves from Victor Valdes. However, that's been about it for their attacking. Sevilla are camping lots of men behind the ball and they're reluctant to counter. So far, it's proved to be a decent strategy.
For more on the Blaugranas, check out Barcelona blog Barca Blaugranes. We’ll have live coverage all of the action from Spain in our La Liga Week 8 StoryStream. For more on the entire world of footy, head over to SB Nation Soccer.
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