Defending champions La Liga Barcelona will look to extend their winning streak when they hit the road to face Sevilla at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium.
Sevilla will be eyeing a third straight win in La Liga when they host table-toppers Barcelona on Saturday night. Both teams have been in fine form of late, making this a mouth-watering clash.
The home team are fifth on the table with 13 points in their six outings (four wins, a draw and a defeat). They started the campaign with back-to-back wins, but dropped points in consecutive games before securing 1-0 wins over Valencia and Deportivo La Coruna.
While they did secure all three points in their last outing against Deportivo de a Coruna, Sevilla will have to produce a much improved performance to stand a chance against Barcelona.
Meanwhile, the visitors are top of the table with 18 points in their six outings. They have been a ruthless force in the 2026/27 season and have been scoring goals for fun. The Blaugrana have won all seven of their games across competitions and have bagged 33 goals.
They have a positive goal difference of 22 in the league and are heading into this fixture on the back of a 7-2 win over Racing Santander. While there were question marks defensively, they have been on another level going forward and will certainly be favourites to win this one as well. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
Sevilla
The home team remain without the services of Ruben Vargas (knee) and Arouna Sangante (ankle). However, apart from the duo, everyone else should be available for selection.
Sevilla are likely to field a very similar XI to the one that started in their last outing. They are expected to line up in a 4-3-3 formation, with Odysseas Vlachodimos starting between the sticks.
Juan Iglesias and Gabriel Suazo should feature as the full-backs, while Andres Castrin is likely to pair up with Kike Salas in the heart of the defence. The back four are gearing up for their toughest test given the kind of form Barcelona attackers have been in.
In midfield, Lucien Agoume, Youssouf Fofana and Jon Guridi should form the central midfield trio in the middle of the pitch. The three midfielders will look to ensure Barcelona midfielders do not run the show.
Miguel Sierra and Felix Correia are expected to occupy the wide areas, providing width and supporting the attack. Finally, Isaac Romero will lead the line for Sevilla against Barcelona on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Vlachodimos; Iglesias, Castrin, Salas, Suazo; Agoume, Guridi, Fofana; Sierra, Isaac Romero, Correia
Barcelona
Joan Garcia picked up a knee injury in their last outing and remains a major doubt for this outing. Meanwhile, the visitors also remain without the services of Frenkie de Jong (knee) and Roony Bardghji (knee).
Barcelona are expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Wojciech Szczesny starting between the sticks. Eric Garcia and Xavi Espart should feature as the full-backs, while Pau Cubarsi is likely to line up alongisde Gerard Martin in the heart of the defence.
In midfield, Rodri and Pedri should form the double pivot in the centre of the pitch. The duo will look to control possession and dictate the tempo of the game while helping Barcelona dominate the middle of the pitch.
Lamine Yamal and Anthony Gordon are expected to occupy the wide areas, providing width and flair to their attack, while Fermin Lopez could take up the number ten role behind Raphinha, who will continue to spearhead the Barcelona attack against Sevilla this weekend.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Szczesny; Eric Garcia, Cubarsi, Martin, Espart; Rodri, Pedri; Yamal, Fermin Lopez, Gordon; Raphinha
Key Stats
- Barcelona have won all seven games this season and have bagged 33 goals at an average of 4.7 goals per game.
- Barcelona have won 119 of their 204 previous meetings with Sevilla.
- Sevilla have secured 46 victories against Barcelona, while 39 encounters have ended in a draw.
- The two sides exchanged emphatic home wins in La Liga last season, with Sevilla winning 4-1 at home before Barcelona responded with a 5-2 victory at Camp Nou.
- Barcelona have dominated this fixture in recent years, winning 10 of their last 12 meetings with Sevilla, while the Andalusian side have managed just one win and one draw during that period.
Player to Watch
Fermin Lopez
While all eyes will be on the likes of Raphinha and Lamine Yamal, Fermin Lopez might be an equally dangerous threat for Sevilla in this fixture. He has certainly made quite an impression in the initial games of the season and will look to build on it.
In his five league outings, Lopez has bagged four goals and two assists. The 23-year-old Spanish international will look to build on the start and add to his tally when he takes the ground in their away fixture.
Prediction
Sevilla 2-4 Barcelona
Sevilla should be confident about their chances after securing consecutive league victories. The home side’s have shown enough attacking quality to cause problems, but their defence will face a completely different challenge against a Barcelona side that has scored 33 goals across their seven games this season.
The reigning La Liga champions have been relentless in front of goal and will head into this fixture full of confidence after their 7-2 win over Racing Santander. Hansi Flick’s men have considerably more quality across the pitch and should be able to dominate possession and create plenty of chances. The Hard Tackle predicts a 4-2 win for the away team.
