Was I Wrong?

No, Barcelona will still collect a trophy or two this season. Did that cause Sevilla to come into the UEFA Super Cup scared, of course not. Sevilla were well organized and made Barca chase the match by burying the chances they created in the seventh and forty-fifth minutes. A goal on the stroke of half time always takes the fight out of an opponent.

The truth is that this will only motivate the Blaugrana and make them realize that no matter how tough things were last season on the way to winning the double, this season will only be more challenging. The teams that they face in the coming months will try to complicate things for them by playing a pressing, space-closing style against them.

One match isn't going to change my mind concerning how good they really are. But it'll be interesting to see which teams take lesson's from Sevilla's cakewalk today. Within a five-week span in September and October, Barca will take on Valencia (home), Weder Bremen (away), Sevilla (h), Chelsea (a), and Real Madrid (a). That could be a very telling period that could stretch Frank Rijkaard's team to the limit. Like Chelsea, Barca are just too good to take a fall after just one punch. They'll punch back.

Sevilla shock Barca in Super Cup [BBC]
Bacelona's Squad [Guardian UK]

-ac