Sevilla looks too weak to withstand Barcelona firepower
It is still so early in the season, but Sevilla are languishing down in 15th spot in the table
Barcelona will be looking to record a third straight La Liga victory when they continue their 2022-23 campaign against Sevilla at Estadio Ramon on Saturday night.
The Catalan outfit will enter the contest in Seville off the back of a 4-0 win over Real Valladolid, but an off-colour Sevilla suffered a 2-1 defeat to Almeria in their last match.
Sevilla have finished fourth in La Liga in each of the last three campaigns, and they were only three points off second-place Barcelona in Spain's top flight last term, but it would be fair to say that their form in the early stages of this season has been slightly alarming.
Julen Lopetegui's side opened their campaign with a 2-1 defeat at Osasuna before behind 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 are languishing down in 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.
Los Nervionenses have another hugely difficult home game on the horizon, with their Champions League campaign beginning against Manchester City at Estadio Ramon next week, and it is set to be an extremely busy period for the club due to their European commitments.
Sevilla have not actually beaten Barcelona in La Liga since October 2015, but the points were shared in a 1-1 draw when the two teams met in the corresponding fixture last term.
Barcelona, meanwhile, made an underwhelming start to their campaign, playing out a goalless draw with Rayo Vallecano on August 13, but they have won their last two in impressive fashion.
Indeed, the Catalan outfit were 3-1 winners over Real Sociedad on August 21 before beating Real Valladolid 4-0 last time out, with Robert Lewandowski scoring four times in his last two league appearances.
Xavi's side have had an impressive transfer window and will be expecting to challenge for the major trophies this term, and their Champions League campaign will also begin next week with a home game against Viktoria Plzen.
Barcelona's next four league matches after this one are against Cadiz, Elche, Mallorca and Celta Vigo, before the small matter of a trip to Real Madrid in the middle of October, and it will be fascinating to see what the team can achieve this season considering their summer business.
Blaugrana were 13 points behind champions Real Madrid in the table last season, and they are already two back from Los Blancos this term, but a strong title challenge is expected, and the team will be looking to make a big improvement on a 2021-22 season that saw them lose seven times in the league.
Sevilla could have new signing Adnan Januzaj available following his recent arrival, but Marcao and Jesus Manuel Corona remain on the sidelines for the home side through injury.
Marcos Acuna is back following a suspension, though, and he is expected to replace Alex Telles at left-back, while Thomas Delaney could be introduced to strengthen the midfield.
Ivan Rakitic, Suso and Isco are among the options for change, but Lucas Ocampos will not be involved, as his move to Ajax has now been confirmed.
Karim Rekik is also a major doubt due to the injury that he picked up against Almeria, so there could be a spot in the middle of the defence for 20-year-old Jose Angel Carmona.
As for Barcelona, Andreas Christensen is likely to have recovered from an illness in time for the match, so Xavi could have a full squad to choose from.
Jules Kounde, who moved to Camp Nou from Sevilla, made his first appearance for the Catalan outfit against Real Valladolid, having been successfully registered, and he could again start at right-back.
Jordi Alba is also pushing for a return at left-back but could ultimately be forced to watch 18-year-old Alejandro Balde feature once again, while Frenkie de Jong is also an option in midfield, but Gavi and Pedri are again likely to feature alongside Sergio Busquets.
Lewandowski will lead the attack, with Ousmane Dembele set to start once again, but Raphinha could be replaced in the final third of the field by Ferran Torres.
