One of the most standout fixtures in the La Liga takes place this weekend as Barcelona battles to regain glory against an all-firing Sevilla outfit. The match schedules for Saturday at Camp Nou, with kickoff at 6:15 pm.
Only two points separate these two sides in the La Liga rankings. The Catalan giants occupy the third spot while Sevilla comes in fourth, comfortably clear of fifth-placed Real Sociedad.
The 2020-21 season campaign for Sevilla has been impressive, managing to win 15 matches, drawing three, and losing five of their last 23 matches in La Liga. The side manages to collect 48 points, leaving them fourth in the table.
Julen Lopetegui’s side is only two points from their weekend’s opponents, while four points from Real Sociedad currently in the fifth position. A top-four finish is more of a possibility for Lopetegui.
The Europa League holders will enter into the match on the back of a 2-0 win at Osasuna on Monday night. Sevilla now faces Barcelona in back-to-back games, with Barca taking on Ronald Koeman’s side in the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final next week, holding a 2-0 advantage.
Barca enters into the match on the back of a 3-0 win over Elche on Wednesday, with Lionel Messi scoring a brace before Jordi Alba finishing off the clash. The side contests a 4-1 home loss to PSG in the Champions League.
Barcelona vs. Sevilla Head to Head
Both sides have 43 games against each other, with Barcelona takes home 28 wins while Sevilla has six wins. Here is a look at their previous encounters:
Home
Osasuna 0-2 Barcelona
Sevilla 2-3 Borussia Dortmund
Sevilla 1-0 Huesca
Almeria 0-1 Sevilla
Eibar 0-2 Sevilla
Away
Barcelona 3-0 Elche FC
Barcelona 1-1 Cadiz
Catalan 1-4 PSG
Sevilla 2-0 Barcelona
Real Betis 2-3 Barcelona
Barcelona Team News
Unavailable figures ahead of the clash include Sergio Roberto, Ansu Fati, Ronald Araujo, and Phillipe Coutinho, who remain on the treatment table. We are likely to see some changes to the starting XI with Ousmane Dembele, Sergio Busquets, Clement Lenglet, Antoine Griezzman, and Sergio Dest.
Sevilla Team News
In-form attacker Lucas Ocampo with seven goals will miss out on the encounter after picking an ankle problem, while Marcus Acuna out with a hamstring issue. Karim Rekik will continue in the left-back position. Other figures likely to return to the starting XI include Ivan Rakitic and Youssef En-Nesyri.
Prediction and Odds
If their recent encounters are anything to go by, we expect a heated encounter between the two sides.
Correct Score: 1-1
Draw
Goals Under 2.5