Barcelona will be looking to return to winning ways when they host Sevilla in the La Liga on Friday. On Tuesday, the home team, which currently leads the standings with 17 points, drew 2-2 with Mallorca. Sevilla is currently in 11th place and they defeated Almeria 5-1.
Preview (Barcelona vs. Sevilla)
Barcelona had a six-game winning streak going into their match against Mallorca on Tuesday. They were ultimately forced to share the points with Javier Aguirre’s team. Fermin Lopez tied the score at 2-2 in the 75th minute after Mallorca twice took the lead on home soil. Barcelona entered the game with a record of five victories and two draws through their first seven La Liga games. They ensured that they remained unbeaten this season. Xavi’s team leads the table with 17 points. They will be looking to get back to winning ways in the league.
Barcelona has done a remarkable job of adjusting to life in their temporary home stadium, Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys. They have won all four of their games this season across all competitions. Despite falling behind 2-0 to Celta Vigo at home last weekend, they came back to win the game. The Catalan team has defeated Sevilla in each of their last three league meetings. They have not suffered a loss to the team they will face on Friday in Spain’s top division in eight years. They come into this encounter with a four-game unbeaten streak across all competitions.
The team led by Jose Luis Mendilibar has not suffered a defeat since losing to Girona 2-1 at home. They have also gained seven points in their last three league games. It moved them up the standings into the 11th spot. Youssef En-Nesyri, Dodi Lukebakio, Suso, Erik Lamela, and Kike Salas all scored as Sevilla thrashed Almeria 5-1. It was easily their greatest performance of the season. A sign of how quickly things can change at this juncture in the season. The Europa League champions are currently only three points behind fifth-place Atletico Madrid in the table.
Team News
Due to a thigh issue, Barcelona will once again be without the services of Pedri. The midfielder is now on the verge of returning, which will be a big boost for the squad. The ankle injury Frenkie de Jong sustained during the 3-2 victory over Celta last weekend. It will keep him out for six weeks. Robert Lewandowski will be added to the starting lineup by head coach Xavi on Friday after being rested for the match against Mallorca. Inigo Martinez and Ferran Torres are expected to miss out on the starting lineup, while Jules Kounde will likely be reinstated.
While Oliver Torres, Mariano Diaz, Marcos Acuna, Marcao, Tanguy Nianzou, and Alfonso Pastor are now out due to injuries, Sevilla has a long injury list. Lucas Ocampos could have to settle for a bench position once more because the majority of the starting lineup from the first whistle against Almeria last time out should keep their spots. Ivan Rakitic and Sergio Ramos are expected to be recalled, though, as Mendilibar is most likely to start the seasoned duo in the matchup with the La Liga champions.
En-Nesyri began in place of Rafa Mir on Tuesday and scored, so the Moroccan international ought to be given the go-ahead through the middle once more. Sevilla is more than capable of challenging Barcelona in this match, especially since they are coming off of their greatest performance of the season. But since Xavi’s team will be itching to win again, we can see the Catalan team eking out a victory and taking all three points.
Barcelona 2 – 1 Sevilla
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