FC BARCELONA
v
SEVILLA FC
Camp Nou, Barcelona
October 31st, 2010, 01:30 AM IST
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The on-going season hasn’t been good for the defending Champions, as far as their home record is concerned. Early jolts in the form of Hercules and Mallorca have already rocked the Catalan giant. Consecutive league victories against Valencia at home and away at Zaragoza may have boosted the morale of the champions; nonetheless, the tie against Sevilla still remains a tricky one. The Copa del Rey Champions leapfrogged Athletic Bilboa last weekend, at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán in a thrilling encounter and also began their League Cup run in style. A mid-week win against third-tier Real Union away from home bolstered the confidence of the Rojiblancos, who did not quite have the start to their league season as they would have liked.
Barcelona too started their League Cup campaign in élan. Pep Guardiola fielded a team mainly comprising of youth squad members against their Segunda B hosts Ceuta. More than the win, Barcelona gained its future stars. Marc Bartra and Andreu Fontàs were impressive at the heart of the Barca defense.
Typically a Barca-vs-Sevilla game produces a lot of goals. 18 goals in the last 5 encounters bear testimony to this fact. This time around, it should not be any different.
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Team News and Tactical Brief
FC Barcelona: Barcelona lost winger Jeffren in their League Cup match against Ceuta. The Spanish-Venezuelan attacker succumbed to a shoulder injury and will be out of action for at least a month. Meanwhile, Spanish midfielder Xavi and Argentine centre-back Gaby Milito are back from injury for the defending champions. Milito has been out since he suffered a thigh strain in training a few days back, while Xavi has been suffering from achilles tendon problems. The Spanish midfielder noticed some pain towards the end of the Valencia encounter and only played the last few minutes of the Copenhagen game, before missing the Zaragoza and Ceuta ties.
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Barcelona is known for their attacking brand of football and this match shouldn’t be any exception. In the absence of key personnel in visitor’s line up, Andrés Palop and Jesus Navas, the home side would look to attack as much as possible. The Barca forwards are most likely to test an inexperienced Javi Varas, who will indeed find it difficult to face the music. In the absence of experienced left-back Fernando Navarro, Lionel Messi and Pedro will find it comparatively easier to raid the opposition from the right wing.A regular 4-3-3 should be the formation employed by Pep Guardiola with David Villa, Lionel Messi and Pedro Rodriguez upfront. Xavi is anticipated to start the game along with Iniesta and Busquets. Gerard Pique and Carles Puyol are certain to take up the central defensive duty with Victor Valdes protecting the goal bar.
Probable Starting Line-up: Valdes (GK), Alves, Puyol, Pique, Abidal, Xavi, Busquets, Iniesta, Messi, Pedro, Villa.
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Sevilla: Sevilla FC will be deprived of Andrés Palop when they visit the Camp Nou, as the 37-year-old custodian nurses a calf strain. 28-year-old Javi Varas is in line for a rare appearance in the absence of the experienced Palop. After losing winger Jesus Navas last week, this is indeed a huge blow for the Sevillistas. Experienced left back Fernando Navarro will also be missing this fixture because of suspension. Despite the fact that Sevilla has won four of five matches since Gregrio Manzano took over as coach, the Andalucian team has only won six times at the Camp Nou – the last in 2002. The return to form of Brazilian hitman – Luis Fabiano, should be a motivating factor in the Sevilla camp.
Luis Fabiano and Frederic Kanoute each scored twice as 10-man Sevilla continued their remarkable stranglehold over Athletic Bilbao with a 4-3 win at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán in an incident-packed encounter last week. The Barcelona defense hasn’t exactly been up to the mark this season. Gerard Pique has been lackluster off-late and Carles Puyol isn’t getting any younger. The deadly duo of Fabiano-Kanoute would be unleashed against Barcelona to take advantage of their somewhat portentous home form.
Probable Starting Line-up: Varas (GK), Alexis, Cáceres, Dabo, Konko, Romaric, Renato, Capel, Alfaro Fabiano, Kanoute
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Key Facts
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TheHardTackle’s PLAYER TO WATCH OUT FOR
Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona)
The diminutive Argentine has been the main source of goal for the defending champions. High profile summer signing David Villa has been woefully out of form and has just managed 2 goals so far. After the departure of Samuel Eto’o and Thierry Henry, the onus lies on the World Player Of The Year to score for his team. He hasn’t disappointed as of now and scored a staggering 47 goals in 53 appearances for the club last season. This season too, the Argentine has been quite sensational. Till now he has bagged 12 goals in 11 appearances for the club and also has three assists to his name.
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TheHardTackle’s PREDICTION
FC Barcelona 3-1 Sevilla
The Andalucians are a fabulous group of footballer but the absence of key personnel in Palop, Navas and Navarro might just cost them a bit too much at the Camp Nou. FC Barcelona will not only have a full strength team but also a humongous support at home.
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TheHardTackle’s BLAST FROM THE PAST