League leaders Real Madrid will look to return to winning ways when they host Sevilla at home after playing out a draw last time out.
Things have gone from bad to worse for Sevilla over the past 18 months. They could only manage a middle-table finish last season, and things do not really look good for them at this stage. Sevilla are currently fighting for survival, and a win away from home against Real Madrid could do wonders.
Los Blancos are currently top of the league, with 62 points out of their 25 matches. They have only lost once and have won 19 of their outings. It has been a dominant performance by the team in white, who have the second-best attack and the best defence in the division.
They have slowed down a touch of late and will look to return to winning ways when they host Sevilla. In their last three league outings, they have played out a draw on two occasions. Real Madrid currently have a six-point lead at the top, and it could have been better had they got the desired results in the recent past.
The team in white are heading into this one on the back of a 1-1 draw against Rayo Vallecano. It was not their performance, and they will have to bring their A-game to the table to win.
While it seems to be a very important fixture for Sevilla as they are fighting to avoid relegation, it is even more important for Sergio Ramos and Real Madrid fans. The former Los Blancos skipper who won everything there was to win during his time at the Spanish capital is now all set to return to the Santiago Bernabéu.
It will be a special night for Ramos as well as the fans. But as far as Sevilla are concerned, the focus will be on claiming all three points. They are currently 15th on the points table, with 24 points out of their 25 matches. The visitors have suffered 11 defeats and have only won five games so far.
The good news is that their recent form has been quite good, they have won two out of their last three league games and are seven points above the drop zone. Sevilla are heading into this one on the back of a 0-0 draw against Valencia.
The visitors were not really at their best, and they couldn’t create enough chances to come out on top. The Hard Tackle now takes a closer look at both Real Madrid and Sevilla as it looks to predict the tactics they could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
Real Madrid
Real Madrid recently suffered another injury blow as Joselu has joined Jude Bellingham, David Alaba, Eder Militao, and Thibaut Courtois on the sidelines. Meanwhile, Dani Carvajal and Eduardo Camavinga are both suspended for this fixture. Meanwhile, Ferland Mendy is back from suspension and should start in this fixture.
Antonio Rudiger could return in time for this fixture. Given the number of injuries and absentees, Luka Modric could start this fixture. Ancelotti will stick to the 4-4-2 formation and Andriy Lunin should be in goal. Lucas Vazquez and Ferland Mendy will most likely be the full-back duo.
They will have the support of Antonio Rudiger and Nacho Fernandez who will feature in the heart of the defence. The back four will look for another clean sheet, while the midfield will look to control the tempo of the game.
Modric could be the defensive midfielder, while Toni Kroos and Federico Valverde should be in his support. Meanwhile, Brahim Diaz will be the attacking midfielder behind the attacking duo of Rodrygo Goes and Vinicius Junior.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Lunin; Vazquez, Rudiger, Nacho, Mendy; Valverde, Modric, Kroos; Brahim; Rodrygo, Vinicius
Sevilla
Sevilla will be without the services of Erik Lamela, Lucas Ocampos, Lucien Agoume, and Marcao for this fixture against the league leaders. Meanwhile, the availability of Marcos Acuna, Tanguy Nianzou, Mariano Diaz, Nemanja Gudelj, and Dodi Lukebakio is doubtful.
The visitors will go ahead with the 3-5-2 formation, where Orjan Nyland will be in goal. Former Real Madrid skipper Sergio Ramos will take charge in the heart of the defence alongside Loic Bade and Kike Salas.
The back three will have a tough task of stopping a star-studded Real Madrid attack, but they are not alone, they will have the support of Jesus Navas and Adria Pedrosa, who will feature as the full-backs. Pedrosa will only start if Acuna fails to be back in time.
In the centre of the park, Boubakary Soumare and Moussa Sow will start alongside Oliver Torres. While it won’t be easy by any means, they will look to control the tempo of the game. As far as the attack is concerned, Youssef En-Nesyri will start alongside Isaac Romero.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Nyland; Bade, Ramos, Salas; Navas, Sow, Soumare, Torres, Pedrosa; Romero, En-Nesyri
Key Stats
- In the reverse fixture between the two teams, Real Madrid were held to a 1-1 draw by Sevilla at home.
- Their last league clash at the Santiago Bernabeu saw Real Madrid win 3-1.
- Los Blancos have the best defence (16 goals conceded) and the second-best attack (53 goals scored) in the league.
- The team in white have the second-best home record in the league, they have picked up 32 points out of their 12 matches.
- Meanwhile, Sevilla have a poor record away from home they have only collected 10 points on the road in their 12 matches so far this season.
Player to Watch
Brahim Diaz
Diaz might not have started the season in the best possible way, but he has surely hit top form at the very right time. With quite a few of their key players out injured, Carlo Ancelotti has trusted the Spanish international to get the job done and he has delivered.
The former Manchester City youth product has 11 goal contributions to his name, has found the back of the net on eight occasions and also has three assists to his name. Ancelotti will hope with Bellingham out, Diaz can help him claim all three points.
Prediction
Real Madrid 2-0 Sevilla
Real Madrid might have been a bit inconsistent of late, but they have still been the best team in Spain for a while now and are expected to come out on top here. Sevilla were struggling right from the start of the season.
But they have picked themselves back up and have moved out of the relegation zone. They will look to carry on the good work but it might not be easy to stop a team like Los Blancos. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-0 win for the home team.