Real Madrid will look to make it consecutive wins in La Liga when they host Sevilla on Sunday night at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid have endured an inconsistent start to the season and cannot afford another slip-up against Sevilla, with Barcelona already six points clear at the top of the table. Meanwhile, the visitors will be eager to claim a statement victory at the Santiago Bernabeu and strengthen their push for a top-four finish.
The home team are fourth in La Liga with 18 points in their eight outings, with six wins and two defeats. The defeat to Atletico Madrid prior to the break was a substantial blow, but Mourinho’s men have recovered in fine fashion with back-to-back wins.
Los Blancos secured a hard-fought 1-0 win over Villarreal in their last league outing despite going down to ten men. They backed it up with an incredible comeback win over AS Roma in the Champions League. Despite being 3-1 down heading into the final seven minutes of normal time, the team in white ended up securing a 4-3 win.
Those incredible seven minutes will certainly would have given Real Madrid a lot of confidence heading into this fixture. Meanwhile, the visitors are fifth on the table with 14 points in their eight outings, with four wins, two draws and two defeats.
Sevilla had an impressive start to the campaign with four wins and a draw in their first six outings. However, they have been winless in their last two league outings, including a 3-3 draw against Levante in their last league outing.
Despite dropping points last time out, the Andalusian outfit will hope they can bounce back and cause an upset against Los Blancos away from home. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Real Madrid
Vinicius Junior has been handed a four-match ban following his red card against Villarreal. Apart from the Brazilian international, they will also be without the services of Eder Militao (muscle), Rodrygo (knee), Ferland Mendy (hip), and Raul Asencio (leg) due to injury.
Real Madrid are expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Sevilla, with Thibaut Courtois starting in goal. Denzel Dumfries and Marc Cucurella should operate as full-backs, while Ibrahima Konate is likely to line up alongside Dean Huijsen at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni are expected to form the double pivot, providing defensive cover and helping the hosts control the tempo of the game.
Arda Guler and Yan Diomande should operate on the flanks, with Jude Bellingham playing in the number ten role behind Kylian Mbappe, who will continue to lead the line. Guler will be the main creative source, while Diomande will look to take on the defenders and beat them with his pace and dribbling.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Dumfries, Konate, Huijsen, Cucurella; Valverde, Tchouameni; Guler, Bellingham, Diomande; Mbappe
Sevilla
Isaac Romero is suspended for the visitors following his red card against Levante. Apart from him, Marcao (muscle), Jon Guridi (adductor), and Miguel Sierra (shoulder) are all unavailable this weekend.
Sevilla are expected to line up in a 4-1-4-1 formation vs Real Madrid, with Odysseas Vlachodimos starting in goal. Juan Iglesias and Gabriel Suazo should operate as full-backs, while Andres Castrin is likely to pair up with Kike Salas in central defence.
Lucien Agoume is expected to take up the holding role in midfield, providing defensive cover and protecting the back four. Chidera Ejuke and Felix Correia should operate on the flanks, while Giorgi Kochorashvili and Youssouf Fofana are likely to play centrally, helping Sevilla compete for possession. Finally, Robbie Ure will lead the line for Sevilla against Real Madrid.
Probable Lineup (4-1-4-1): Vlachodimos; Iglesias, Castrin, Salas, Suazo; Agoume; Ejuke, Kochorashvili, Fofana, Correia; Ure
Key Stats
- Real Madrid have not lost any of their last 20 home games against Sevilla (19 wins).
- Sevilla last defeated Real Madrid back in September 2018 at home in La Liga (3-0).
- Los Blancos scored three goals from corners in the last seven minutes to win 4-3 against AS Roma last time out.
- Sevilla have lost each of their last five games against the team in white.
- The team in white have bagged 13 goals in their last five outings.
Player to Watch
Yan Diomande
While Endrick and Arda Guler stole the show against AS Roma with their late goals and assists, Diomande was another player who impressed a lot in that game with his ability to run at defenders and beat them without much trouble.
Apart from the attacking side of things, he even contributed defensively. With Vinicius Junior unavailable, there will be a lot of eyes on Diomande, and this might be his chance to impress and establish himself as a prominent figure at the club under Jose Mourinho.
The Ivorian winger bagged the winner against Villarreal, and he had an assist to his name against Roma. The teenager is slowly getting a hang of things at Real Madrid, and this could be the game where he finally explodes.
Prediction
Real Madrid 3-0 Sevilla
Real Madrid will head into this fixture full of confidence after their comeback victory over AS Roma, and the Santiago Bernabeu should provide the perfect setting for them to extend their winning run.
Sevilla have shown plenty of promise this season, but their recent inability to turn performances into victories could prove costly against a side with Real Madrid’s attacking quality. The visitors will look to stay compact and frustrate the hosts, but the absence of Vinicius Junior should not prevent Los Blancos from creating chances.
The away team could struggle to contain Madrid’s pace and movement in the final third, particularly if Yan Diomande builds on his recent performances. The teenager will have an opportunity to make an impact in Vinicius Junior’s absence, while Mbappe remains a major threat in front of goal. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-0 win for the home team.
