Football
Sam Marsden, Barcelona correspondent 7y

Barcelona boss Luis Enrique credits tactical switch for victory at Sevilla

Luis Enrique felt a half-time tactical switch enabled Barcelona to beat Sevilla on Sunday.

Jorge Sampaoli's side were better for large parts of the first half and took the lead when Vitolo got behind Sergi Roberto and beat Marc-Andre ter Stegen from close range.

However, Lionel Messi restored parity just before the break and Luis Enrique's suggested tweaks at the interval then helped Barca go on to seal the three points, with Luis Suarez scoring a second-half winner.

"We changed the shape at half-time, pushing Sergi Roberto into midfield and that allowed us to generate more superiority in midfield," Luis Enrique explained in his postgame news conference.

"Sometimes it was Sergi Roberto in there, other times it was [Samuel] Umtiti, depending on what benefitted us best at the time. But that's how we were able to find Leo Messi more and create more chances.

"It was a great game. I thought it would be as it was a match between two teams that are attacking and take risks.

"We had chances at the beginning of the game but nothing came of them, with Luis and Neymar making a mess of one, which doesn't usually happen.

"Then Sevilla scored and they had other chances, too. But the goal at the end of the first half helped us back into the game and we were great in the second half. We deserved to win and could even have killed the game of earlier."

Despite achieving the win which allowed his side to keep within two points of league leaders Real Madrid going into the international break, Luis Enrique still found time to complain about the state of the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan pitch.

"We knew how difficult it would be," he continued, "but the state of the pitch, which didn't help either team, and the pressing from Sevilla made everything even more difficult.

"It was a big test and it showed what the players are made of. We know what usually happens to the big teams after Champions League weeks and I'm really happy with the victory. These type of wins strengthen you even more."

With a goal, an assist and a performance which saw him pop up in a number of positions, Messi was once again the star of the show.

Luis Enrique, though, was keen to single out another one of his players: "I'd like to highlight Denis Suarez. Every time he's had a chance he's taken advantage by performing well.

"It's difficult to perform when you're not starting regularly, but Denis is managing to do that. With that attitude, when you see what he's doing, you have to congratulate him and hold him up as an example of what a good professional is."

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