FC Barcelona will look to extend their winning run to ten straight games when they host Sevilla at Camp Nou in La Liga.
Barcelona are ready to welcome Sevilla in La Liga on Sunday night. The La Liga leaders will look to maintain their five-point lead at the top of the table with a win. Meanwhile, Sevilla are just two points off the relegation zone and will look to avoid falling into the drop zone.
Barcelona had a disappointing run in the Champions League as they took an early exit. But, they have done extremely well apart from the European disappointment. Xavi’s men are on top of the Spanish top flight, five points clear of Real Madrid. They have already won their first trophy of the season after thrashing Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup final.
The Catalan giants are on a four-match winning run in the league. Last time around, they won 2-1 against Real Betis on Wednesday. They have been unbeaten in the last ten league fixtures. Their last defeat in La Liga was against rivals Real Madrid on October 16.
Barcelona’s defence is what sets them apart. In their 19 league games, they have only conceded seven goals. The second-best record is of Villarreal, who have conceded twice the number of goals. While they will bank on their defense, Xavi will expect Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski to get the job done in the attack.
Barcelona have the best record at home in the ongoing season with 23 points in nine matches at Camp Nou. The Blaugrana cannot afford to drop points because Real Madrid are just around the corner. And any mistake might open up the title race.
As far as Sevilla are concerned, they currently 13th in the La Liga table. They have managed only 21 points from their 19 matches and have a goal difference of -5. It has not been a great season for the visitors.
They have been a shadow of their former self and are just two points above the drop zone. And, it was not long ago when they were in the relegation zone. Of late, they have been in form, and in the last four matches, they have won three. And as a result find themselves out of the drop zone. But, they are still very much in the relegation battle.
A loss against Barcelona might push them back into the drop zone. The visitors do not really have a great record on the travel in the ongoing season. They have only managed nine points out of the possible 27 points.
Jorge Sampaoli’s side are heading into this encounter on the back of a 3-0 win against Elche. They have only lost one of their last five matches and will be high on confidence. But, when they go up against Barcelona at Camp Nou, only confidence will not get the desired result. They will have to give it their all to come out on top.
It is quite a tight affair at the bottom of the table in the ongoing La Liga season. Only three points separate 18th-placed Cadiz and 11th-placed Almeria. So, a win can push them further up in the table, but a loss can drag them down in the danger zone.
Los Nervionenses have finished fourth in the last there campaigns. But this time it looks like a near-impossible job. They will just hope to finish mid-table, and for that to happen, they need to keep their good run going.
Earlier in the season, when the two teams met each other, Barcelona thrashed Sevilla 3-0 at Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan. The visitors have not won against Barcelona in La Liga since October 2015, which pretty much indicates what task they have at their hands.
It is going to be a very hard-fought battle between two teams who have different ambitions for the season. The Hard Tackle has a look at how both sides could line up on the night and what tactics they might use.
Team News & Tactics
FC Barcelona
🚨 The squad for #BarçaSevilla! pic.twitter.com/D9qveEQ5yw
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) February 4, 2023
Ousmane Dembele is the only name on Barcelona’s injury list at the moment. He is expected to be out for the entire month of February because of a thigh strain he picked up against Girona last week.
Xavi has no further injuries or suspensions to worry about. And, he will have the entire squad at his disposal. The Barcelona manager is expected to stick to his go-to 4-3-3 formation. Xavi is expected to field an unchanged XI against Sevilla.
Marc-Andre ter Stegen will start in goal. Jules Kounde and Jordi Alba will be the full-backs. Andreas Christensen and Eric García will pair up in the centre of the defense. Sergio Busquets, Frenkie de Jong, and Pedri will be the midfield three.
Robert Lewandowski, the league’s top goal scorer will lead the line. Raphinha will be on the right-hand side, while young sensation Gave will play out wide on the left.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): ter Stegen; Kounde, Christensen, Garcia, Alba; de Jong, Busquets, Pedri; Raphinha, Lewandowski, Gavi
Sevilla
The team news for Sevilla does not look that good. Marcao and Marko Dmitrovic are both out with muscle injuries, while Alex Telles, who is on loan from Manchester United, is suffering from a knee problem.
Jesus Corona and Jesus Navas have also joined their teammates on the treatment table. Adnan Januzaj has left Sevilla and joined Istanbul Basaksehir on loan until the end of the season. Jorge Sampaoli will be without a few important players. But his team’s form of late will give him confidence as they travel to Camp Nou.
Sampaoli names his 21-man squad for #BarçaSevillaFC 💪
— Sevilla FC (@SevillaFC_ENG) February 4, 2023
The Sevilla manager will stick to his 4-2-3-1 formation for the Barcelona fixture. Yassine Bounou, the in-demand Moroccan will be in the goal. Gonzalo Montiel, Nemanja Gudelj, Tanguy Nianzou, and Marcos Acuna will form the back four.
Thomas Delaney and Ivan Rakitic will be the two pivots in midfield. Joan Jordan, Oliver Torres, and Erik Lamela will sit on top of the pivots and help out the lone frontman, Youssef En-Nesyri.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Bono; Montiel, Gudelj, Nianzou, Acuna; Delaney, Rakitic; Jordan, Torres, Lamela; En-Nesyri
Key Stats
- In the last 70 meetings between the two teams, Barcelona have won 41 times, and 16 matches have ended in a draw. Sevilla have only managed 13 wins.
- In the last 32 meetings when the Catalan giants have hosted Sevilla, they have won 24 times, and only five have ended in a draw. The visitors have tasted victory only thrice.
- When the two go up against each other, the most common result has been FC Barcelona 2-1 Sevilla. This result has happened on eight occasions.
- It has been over a decade since Barca lost to Sevilla at home. The visitors Sevilla last won at Camp Nou against Barcelona back in 2010.
- Barcelona are unbeaten in the last ten La Liga matches. They last lost in the league back in October 2022.
Player to Watch
Robert Lewandowski
Robert Lewandowski’s form in La Liga this season has been a treat to watch. The La Liga top scorer is expected to be on the scoresheet once again. The former Bayern Munich striker has 14 goals in La Liga this season.
When it comes to all competitions, the Poland striker has 23 goals and five assists in his 25 appearances. Raphina, Gavi, and Pedri will try their best to supply balls for Lewandowski so that he can score and guide Barcelona to their fifth La Liga win in a row.
Prediction
Barcelona 1-1 Sevilla
Barcelona have the best defence in the league and are on a ten-match undefeated streak in La Liga. So, one is inclined to favor them for a win. After all, they are the league leaders for a reason. They will face a team that is currently 13th on the table. But their current form is a decent one. Sevilla won’t go down without a fight.
It will be a battle between two teams who are in top form. Both are desperate for all three points. But, The Hard Tackle predicts it to be a hard-fought 1-1 draw at Camp Nou on Sunday night.
