'The excitement overcomes me' - Alexis Sanchez explains why he celebrated scoring for Sevilla against former club Barcelona in thumping win

According to Barca Universal, Sevilla forward Sanchez has explained why he celebrated after scoring against his former club Barcelona in their stunning 4-1 La Liga victory on Sunday, admitting that the emotion of the moment "overcomes me". The Chilean international had previously stated he would not celebrate if he found the net against the Catalan club, but broke that promise after converting a 13th-minute penalty to open the scoring.

Speaking after the match, Alexis clarified that his actions were driven by the heat of the moment rather than any disrespect towards his old side, for whom he still holds a great affection. "I had said I wouldn’t celebrate, but sometimes the excitement overcomes me, and the desire drives me to do so," Sanchez said, according to Zona Mixta. "In truth, I hold a great deal of love for Barcelona."

The veteran forward set the tone for a memorable night at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, calmly dispatching a penalty to give his side an early lead. The spot-kick was awarded after a VAR review, which judged that Ronald Araujo had fouled Isaac Romero inside the box. Sanchez's opener was the catalyst for a dominant display from Sevilla, who overwhelmed the reigning champions with their aggressive and energetic style of play.

The defeat was a disastrous result for Barcelona, who were defensively frail throughout the contest. After Sanchez's penalty, further goals from Isaac Romero, Jose Angel Carmona and Akor Adams sealed the emphatic win for Sevilla. A late consolation goal from Marcus Rashford did little to mask a poor performance from Hansi Flick's team, who were outplayed and outfought, ending the match with just 39% possession despite having more shots than their opponents.

The heavy loss is a significant blow for Barcelona heading into the international break, leaving them second in the La Liga table and now three points behind leaders Real Madrid. For Sevilla, the victory provides a major boost, lifting them to sixth place and firmly into the race for European qualification. Both teams will now have two weeks to reflect on the result before resuming their domestic campaigns.