Barcelona will be looking to extend their winning streak to three games when they face Sevilla at Estadio Ramon on Saturday night, with kickoff at 10 pm.
Despite finishing fourth in La Liga in the last three campaigns and only three points off second-place Barcelona in Spain’s top flight last term, Sevilla has endured a slightly alarming start this season.
Julen Lopetegui’s side opened their campaign with a 2-1 defeat at Osasuna before being held to a 1-1 draw by Real Valladolid one week later. The Champions League outfit would have been looking to return to winning ways at Almeria on Saturday but suffered a 2-1 loss to the newly-promoted outfit.
It is still so early in the season, but Sevilla is languishing down in the 15th spot in the table, having picked up just one point from three matches, which is certainly a concern heading into a clash with Barcelona.
Barcelona’s start to their La Liga campaign has been underwhelming, with a goalless draw against Rayo Vallecano on August 13, but they have impressively won their last two games. Indeed, the Catalan outfit were 3-1 winners over Real Sociedad on August 21 before beating Real Valladolid 4-0 last time. Robert Lewandowski scored four times in his last two league appearances.
Sevilla vs. Barcelona Head to Head
Both sides have 52 games against each other, with hosts taking 9 wins while visitors with 33 wins. Here is a look at their previous encounters:
Home
- UD Almeria 2-1 Sevilla
- Sevilla 1-1 Real Valladolid
- Osasuna 2-1 Sevilla
- Sevilla 1-0 Cadiz FC
Away
- Barcelona 4-0 Real Valladolid
- Barcelona 3-3 Man City
- Real Sociedad 1-4 Barcelona
- Barcelona 0-0 Rayo Vallecano
Sevilla Team News
New signing Adnan Januzaj could be available for Sevilla, but Marcao and Jesus Manuel Corona remain on the sidelines for the home side through injury. Although Marcos Acuna is back following a suspension, he is expected to replace Alex Telles at left-back. Meanwhile, Thomas Delaney could be introduced to strengthen the midfield.
Barcelona Team News
Barcelona is likely to have recovered from an illness in time for the match, so Xavi could have a full squad to choose from. And this is despite Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s broken jaw, which he suffered during a violent robbery. However, it appears that he is on the verge of joining Chelsea.
Prediction and Odds
Sevilla’s defensive woes are a concern ahead of their clash with Barcelona, and we’re finding it tough to back the home side in this one.
- Away Win
- Goals Under 3.5
- Lewandowski to Score
