Messi leads Barcelona to victory in entertaining game in Seville
Lionel Messi scored three and set up another as the leaders twice pegged Sevilla back before running out 4-2 winners at the Sánchez-Pizjuán.
Sevilla 2-4 Barcelona: as it happened
Sevilla vs Barcelona: match preview
Sevilla host leaders Barcelona in LaLiga this afternoon (16:15 CET) in what is the sides' fifth meeting this season.
The Andalusians lost out to Barça in the Spanish Super Cup in August, before also going down to the Catalans in LaLiga in October and over two legs in the Copa del Rey last month.
Sevilla have won one in last five in LaLiga
Having been among the frontrunners in the first half of the campaign, Sevilla are on a run of one win in eight league games that have seen them drop off the pace, leaving them 17 points behind Barça and eight off Real Madrid in third.
However, they come into today's clash fresh from a midweek victory over Lazio that secured a comprehensive, 3-0 aggregate triumph over the Italians and booked their passage to the Europa League semi-finals, where they will face Slavia Prague.
Goal-shy Barcelona also in indifferent form
Meanwhile, Barça arrive at the Sánchez-Pizjuán on a patchy run of form of their own, having struggled for goals in the process of drawing four and winning only one of their last five fixtures in all competitions.
Nevertheless, a victory in Seville would see the visitors warm up for next week's Clásico double header by opening up a provisional 10-point lead at the top of the table.