There is a blockbuster fit happening on the Estadio Raman Sanchez-Pizjuan on Saturday night time as Sevilla FC host FC Barcelona. The two groups method this fixture in very other moods, as Julen Lopetegui’s facet are nonetheless winless after 3 rounds of the 2022/23 LaLiga Santander season, while Xavi’s males have seven issues already and simply put in combination a dominant 4-0 efficiency in final weekend’s win over Real Valladolid.
The cliche forward of any derby is that fresh shape is inappropriate and that also is true with this fixture, even though it is not an area contention. These two golf equipment is also situated at reverse aspects of the rustic, however they all the time placed on a display once they pass paths and that is the reason why Barça will trip to Seville for this heavyweight conflict anticipating to obtain Sevilla FC’s most powerful punch.
Los Nervionenses are particularly robust towards FC Barcelona once they play in entrance in their passionate house crowd. Of the previous seven conferences in all competitions between those groups on the Estadio Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán, the Catalan membership have best received two of them, along with two house victories and 3 attracts. That features a 1-1 draw on this fixture final yr, in what used to be simply the 6th LaLiga Santander time out of Xavi’s training occupation.
It used to be a good one once they met once more on the Camp Nou later final season and it took a fantastic Pedri strike from distance, which used to be voted FC Barcelona’s purpose of the season, to wreck the impasse and earn the 1-0 victory on that instance .
Xavi has choices, together with Jules Kounde
Since final yr’s duels, FC Barcelona has advanced so much. It has been a hectic summer season for the Catalan establishment, with a number of famous person gamers having been signed, reminiscent of Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski, who’s joint-top of the scoring charts after bagging 4 targets from his first 3 video games in LaLiga Santander.
Another summer season arrival who may get started this fit for FC Barcelona is Jules Koundé, who used to be signed from Sevilla FC. The French defender spent the previous 3 seasons enjoying underneath Lopetegui and advanced once a year. Having helped Sevilla FC win the Europa League identify in 2019/20, he changed into a fan favourite on the membership, however now he’s going to be at the visiting workforce as he offers with the well-known Nervión environment.
Sevilla FC can stay the ball clear of Barca
Lopetegui’s Sevilla FC facet all the time pose an enchanting problem to FC Barcelona, since they are probably the most best-suited groups at holding the ball clear of the Blaugrana. In every of the Basque tactician’s 3 seasons in fee, Sevilla FC have sat at the podium for ownership stats along FC Barcelona and Real Madrid and, thus far in 2022/23, the Andalusians have had extra ownership than any person in LaLiga Santander, forward of Barça in 2nd.
When you take a look at the gamers of their midfield, that makes best possible sense. With abilities like Fernando Reges, Ivan Rakitić, Joan Jordán and liver Torres, and with Isco having joined that workforce in the summertime, Sevilla FC are greater than in a position to holding the ball on Saturday night time. It’ll be attention-grabbing to peer how Sergio Busquets and co. reply to that problem.
Although FC Barcelona have appeared dominant during the last couple of weeks, enjoying away at Sevilla FC is likely one of the hardest away days of all of the season, if now not the toughest. With this recreation following on from Real Madrid vs Real Betis and Real Sociedad vs Atlético de Madrid on Saturday afternoon, LaLiga lovers are in for a deal with.