This archive report was first published on 7 October 2019.
La Liga's big three are back at the top of the table after Barcelona's dominant 4-0 win over Sevilla on Sunday.
Barcelona's Lionel Messi scored his first goal of the season with a brilliant free-kick in the second half, capping off a masterclass performance from the defending champions.
The match descended into farce late on as Barcelona's debutant Ronald Araujo was sent off and Ousmane Dembele followed after collecting a second yellow card for dissent.
By then, the game was long gone as victory pushed Barcelona up to second in the table, two points behind Real Madrid and one above Atletico, who could have done with some of the Catalans' classy finishing in their goalless draw away at Real Valladolid.
Barcelona's star man, Messi, was back in form after his own injury-interrupted start to the season, and his return has increased the pressure on Antoine Griezmann, who was left out of the starting line-up following his quiet display against Inter.
Sevilla, who drop to sixth, had eight shots to Barcelona's seven in the first half but were three down at the break.
Luuk de Jong is yet to score since his move from PSV Eindhoven last summer and the 29-year-old had four excellent chances to break his duck, three of them before Barca had taken the lead.
