text: Barcelona threw away a two-goal lead against Sevilla thanks to individual errors by Claudio Bravo and Gerard Pique, which leaves them just two points ahead of Real Madrid at the top of La Liga. It was a cruel twist of fate for Bravo and Pique, both of whom have been outstanding in the second half of the season and the effort on Sevilla's part was momentous. A year ago Barcelona travelled to Andalusia to face Granada and left a beaten side, their title challenge hitting an iceberg. This was not as brutal a blow, but Enrique’s team will need to right themselves quickly ahead of a testing fortnight. Lionel Messi (left) celebrates scoring the opening goal with Neymar . Sevilla: Sergio Rico, Coke, Carrico, Pareja, Tremoulinas, Krychowiak, Banega, Iborra (Mbia 70), Aleix Vidal, Bacca (Gameiro 75), Vitolo (Reyes 70). Subs not used: David Soria, Navarro, Diogo, D Suarez. Goals: Banega 37, Gameiro 83. Booked: Iborra, Reyes, Mbia, Krychowiak, Banega. Barcelona: Bravo, Alves, Pique, Mathieu, Alba, Busquets, Rakitic, Iniesta (Pedro 85), Messi, Suarez, Neymar (Xavi 73). Subs not used: Ter Stegen, Xavi, Pedro, Rafinha, Mascherano, Bartra, Adriano. Goals: Messi 14, Neymar 31. Booked: Busquets, Pique. Ref: Juan Martinez Munuera. Goals from Lionel Messi and Neymar looked to have ended Sevilla’s amazing 14-month unbeaten home record in La Liga, but Unai Emery’s men showed why they are so hard to beat with a momentous comeback. Gerard Deulofeu was dropped from Sevilla's squad and Denis Suarez started on the bench. To be able to leave out two Barcelona loanees shows the strength in depth that the coach has. It also shows how Sevilla won the Europa League last season and why they are aiming to reach the Champions League this year. A big part of their European triumph last season was down to their captain Ivan Rakitic. Enough, in fact, that Barcelona decided to pluck him from Emery's ranks and give him a bigger stage to shine on. Rakitic says he still holds Sevilla in his heart, thanks to his four season spell in Andalusia. Perhaps his history confused him early on, with the Croat playing a terrible ball back towards his own box which didn’t cost Barcelona, thanks to the referee deciding he was fouled after releasing it. Messi curled home a trademark left-footed shot against Sevilla . Real Madrid had already done their part on Saturday afternoon, seeing off Eibar at the Santiago Bernabeu and then desperately hoped Sevilla would be able to do theirs. Something had to give at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan, whether it was Sevilla's streak, or Barcelona's nine-game winning run. It was Barcelona who last did the damage here in February 2014, but they could not do it again. Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets and Neymar were brought back into the Barcelona side after missing Wednesday's win against Almeria, through injury, suspension and rotation respectively. The latter had a point to prove after a run of fruitless games, where he’s been more likely to cause a fight than score a goal. That wasn’t the case here. Neymar hit a beautifully struck free-kick from the left, to double Barcelona’s lead after half-an-hour. Messi had opened the scoring, with a goal similar to his strike in mid-week. Neymar fed the ball into the Argentine on the right-hand side of the box, who took a touch to work some space and then curled the ball sweetly around the outstretched arm of Sergio Rico and into the top left corner. The Argentine forward took his season's tally to 34 goals in La Liga . Sevilla are good opponents for Messi, who has scored more goals against them than any other side, bar Atletico Madrid. And it was Sevilla he hit a hat-trick against at the Camp Nou earlier this season, the game where he overtook Telmo Zarra’s all-time record of 251 goals. When the big games have come around this season, Barcelona have brought their big game. Dani Alves, for example, has not had a good season, but when the chips are down he’s dug deep. This could be the last time he plays against Sevilla, his former side, and he evoked memories of his former self, charging up the right but getting back when needed as well. However, Sevilla got themselves back in the game before the break with a long-range drive from Ever Banega, the Argentine midfielder who has been reinvigorated under Emery’s watchful eye. Netmar doubled Barcelona's lead with a curling free kick into the top corner . On a day of goalkeeping errors in Spain you suspected it would be third-choice Sevilla stopper Sergio Rico adding to the list, rather than Barcelona’s Claudio Bravo, but that was not the case. The latter is on course to beat Thibaut Courtois’ Zamora Trophy winning 20 clean sheets from last season, with 17 so far, but could not add to his tally here. Bravo got a hand to Banega’s strike but only succeeded in tipping it in off the post, rather than around it. Barcelona had chances to extend their lead, with Messi seeing a free kick tipped over, and Luis Suarez culpable of missing two huge opportunities. He blazed both over the crossbar, either side of the half-time interval. The first he was off-balance for and the angle was tricky, but the second was a golden chance. Andres Iniesta saw his shot saved by Rico, but Suarez couldn’t find the empty net with the rebound. But the Catalan side weren’t creating chances at will; this was hard work against durable, cunning opponents. Krychowiak made a quite phenomenal tackle on Messi which typified the sprit Sevilla showed both in this encounter and throughout the season. With the No 10 running at Sevilla's defence, the Pole fought back, eventually committing himself to a sliding challenge, from which he emerged with the ball, and started a break. Luis Suarez (left) shoots past Sevilla midfielder Daniel Carrico . Carlos Bacca – Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi and Neymar aside, La Liga’s most proflific forward this season – went close when he whistled a strike over the top of Bravo’s goal, while Gerard Pique and Sergio Busquets were both booked for stopping lightning-quick attacks. It wasn’t enough. Emery undid Barcelona with three substitutions, all of which paid dividends. Jose Antonio Reyes played a big part in the equaliser, which was converted by another substitute, Kevin Gameiro. Gerard Pique gave the ball away and Reyes combined with Vitolo, before Gameiro side-footed home a low, scuttled cross at the far post, to ignite the stadium. What makes things worse for Barcelona is that this game is just the start of a brutal fortnight. Enrique’s side travel to Paris to play PSG on Wednesday, before hosting high-flying Valencia on Saturday. Then it’s PSG again three days later, before a Catalan derby at Espanyol. By that time, they may even be playing catch-up. One crumb of comfort for Enrique though. Real Madrid still have to come to the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan and to a man, Barcelona’s side will testify to the difficulty of emerging with three points. Neymar is challenged by Sevilla's Grzegorz Krychowiak (right) and Victor Machin . Messi, right, skips past the challenge of Sevilla's Grzegorz Krychowiak .
target: Barcelona squandered a two-goal lead to stumble to a draw at Sevilla .
  Lionel Messi and Neymar both scored stunning goals on Saturday night .
  Sevilla hit back with goals from Ever Banega and sub Kevin Gameiro .
  La Liga leaders Barca now two points ahead of rivals Real Madrid .