La Liga leaders, Barcelona are looking to secure their ninth win of the season as they host Sevilla at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys on Sunday night.
Currently sitting atop the table, Barcelona has racked up 24 points from their first nine games, while Sevilla has managed just 12 points, placing them in 12th.
Despite facing significant injury challenges this season, Barcelona's impressive start winning eight out of nine matches has them leading the league. They've scored 28 goals, boasting the best attacking record in La Liga, and are three points ahead of second-place Real Madrid.
After a surprising 4-2 defeat to Osasuna in late September, Barcelona bounced back strongly, thrashing Young Boys 5-0 in the Champions League and then winning 3-0 against Alavés in the league.
Lamine Yamal has been a standout performer, but Lewandowski remains the key goal-scorer with 10 goals in nine league matches.
This week is crucial for Barcelona as they prepare to face Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday, followed by El Clásico against Real Madrid next weekend.
Historically, Barcelona has dominated recent matchups with Sevilla, winning the last five encounters and not losing to them in La Liga since October 2015. Sevilla has beaten Barcelona just once in the league since March 2007, and they haven't won in Barcelona since December 2002.
After a tough 2023-24 season that saw them finish 14th their worst performance since relegation in 2000 Sevilla is now under the management of García Pimienta. They’ve gathered 12 points from their nine matches this season, trailing Barcelona by 12 points.
However, Sevilla is in decent form, having earned seven points from their last three matches, including a 1-0 win over Real Betis in the Seville derby before the international break.
They’ve lost just once in their last five La Liga games and have only dropped points in one of their three away matches this season, drawing with Las Palmas, Mallorca, and Athletic Bilbao.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
Barcelona will be missing Ferran Torres, Marc-André ter Stegen, Marc Bernal, Andreas Christensen, and Ronald Araujo for their match against Sevilla this weekend.
On a positive note, Robert Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal both trained on Thursday after dealing with some issues during the international break, and they are expected to be included in the squad.
Gavi, Fermin Lopez, and Dani Olmo are also recovering from injuries and could be back, but it’s unlikely any of them will start.
Goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny is available for selection, but Iñaki Peña is likely to remain the starter for now.
For Sevilla, Saul Niguez and Djibril Sow are out due to injury, and Tanguy Nianzou will be suspended after his red card in the derby against Real Betis.
Kike Salas may step in for Nianzou in the starting lineup, which might otherwise remain unchanged from the team that faced Real Betis before the break.
Isaac Romero is expected to continue as the center-forward, with Peque Fernandez playing as the number 10, while José Ángel Carmona is likely to start at right-back over Jesús Navas.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Barcelona possible starting lineup:
Pena; Kounde, Cubarsi, I Martinez, Balde; Casado, E Garcia, Pedri; Yamal, Lewandowski, Raphinha
Sevilla possible starting lineup:
Nyland; Carmona, Bade, Salas, Pedrosa; Agoume, Gudelj; Lukebakio, Fernandez, Ejuke; Romero
EXPERT PREDICTION
Barcelona 3-1 Sevilla
Barcelona has a strong historical advantage in this matchup, and it's hard to imagine them dropping points this Sunday night. While Sevilla is showing improvement, Barcelona has been outstanding in La Liga this season. We believe Flick's team will win this match fairly comfortably.
