Barcelona stretched their La Liga lead over Real Madrid to a substantial eight points with a comfortable 3-0 win over Sevilla on Sunday. The Catalans, aiming to win their first Spanish title since 2019, punished second-placed Madrid for their 1-0 defeat by Real Mallorca earlier on, opening up a wide gap ahead of their rivals.

However, coach Xavi Hernandez said Barca would not allow any “euphoria” to creep in, urging his players to shut the door on a potential Madrid comeback. “They are still the favourites because they are the reigning La Liga and Champions League champions,” said Xavi.