Torres, Oliver
Ceballos, Dani
European-spot contenders Sevilla will welcome Real Madrid at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan this weekend.
These two sides have faced off 31 times in the recent past and Los Blancos have been dominant over their hosts on Saturday. Madrid have won 23 of the last 31 games between these two sides while Sevilla have only been able to manage six victories. In the reverse fixture back in October, Madrid cruised to a 3-1 victory and have won their last three games over their weekend opponents.
Sevilla are competing for a European spot and the seventh position on the table is for grabs for the 2022/23 UEFA Europa League finalists. They are currently ninth (49 points) in the La Liga table and a win at home against the Whites will take them to 52 points. Much of Jose Mendilibar’s side’s fate will depend on how the game between Osasuna and Athletic Club pans out. As it stands, Athletic Bilbao have their fate in their own hands and are being closely followed in seventh (50 points) by Girona (eighth – 49 points) and Sevilla. So, the pressure is mounting on the teams in contention and the race for the top seven is heating up. Sevilla, at one point during the season, were battling relegation and so it is safe to say that Mendilibar has indeed done a very good job to bring his side back in the mix for Europe. In the 14 games he has been in charge, Sevilla have only lost once while also reaching the Europa League finals.
In their last five, Sevilla have picked up two wins and a loss. Their most recent fixture against basement-dwellers Elche ended in a tame 1-1 draw. Therefore, Sevilla will look to get back to winning ways knowing two crucial points were dropped at Elche.
Mendilibar will be without Marcao who has been ruled out of the season while the participation of Tanguy Nianzou also remains in doubt. Right-back Jesus Navas served his suspension against Elche but is at risk of missing the trip to Real Sociedad if he picks up another yellow. Papu Gomez and Youssef En-Nesyri are also at risk of missing the game against the Basque outfit and must avoid collecting another caution.
Real Madrid are battling cross-town rivals Atletico Madrid for the second spot and only a point separates the two teams with Madrid on 74 and Atleti on 73. So, Carlo Ancelotti’s men will be eager to dust off their recent form in La Liga and end the season on a winning run. The Whites have lost two from their last five but that has been the story of their season. Madrid have been inconsistent this season and are in a much better position on the table than they should be in reality. Their defensive deficiencies have been exploited by many opponents but very few took their chances. Manchester City’s last week’s mauling of Madrid (4-1) should sum their season up. While they made it to the UEFA Champions League finals, they will know that it was not through their best football.
Los Blancos have a lot to ponder about when it comes to their midfield and the frontline. The likes of Luka Modric and Toni Kroos have shown that they still have the quality to play at the very top in Europe but in high-intensity games, the duo have been exposed on more than one occasion this term. The form of Karim Benzema is also a concern for Ancelotti though the Frenchman found the back of the net against Rayo Vallecano earlier this week. Benzema was on the receiving end of a sliding tackle in the 10th minute in the game against Vallecano and ended the game in discomfort, despite finding the back of the net at the half-hour mark. It was later revealed on Instagram that Benzema had to get five stitches on his right foot and so his participation in this clash remains doubtful. Apart from Benzema’s potential injury setback, Ancelotti has his entire squad at his disposal though Dani Carvajal, Rodrygo, and Eder Militao are at risk of missing the game against Athletic Club this weekend.
Youssef-En-Nesyri will be the player to watch out for the hosts. The Moroccan has put past eight La Liga goals this term from his 30 appearances in the Spanish top-flight. En-Nesyri is one of the more clinical finishers in Europe at the moment. He has multiple options to find the back of the net apart with his extraordinary leap and hang-time in the air when a loppy cross is delivered into the box, taking the limelight. With Sevilla playing at home and this is expected to be an end-to-end contest with Nesyri looking to have a successful night against a more or less, disorganized Madrid backline.
Vinicius Jr will be the visitors’ most important player on Thursday. The Brazilian winger has been in fine form this term, registering 10 goals and as many assists in his 32 appearances for Madrid in La Liga. Unfortunately, though, he has also been the victim of racism and was sent off the game against Valencia despite of the 22-year-old being on the receiving end of a chokehold. He will be looking to shift his focus back to football and stand up for his team when he is required the most.
Expert Opinion: Sevilla have a lot to play for and so this game is a much bigger one for the hosts than it actually is for Madrid. The hosts will look to establish an early advantage to make full use of the home advantage, pushing Madrid onto the backfoot in the process.
LaLiga
UEFA Europa League