Last season’s La Liga campaign may not have been very competitive, with Real Madrid coasting to the title, untested in the final few weeks of the campaign. It was hoped Barcelona would bounce back from their off-field financial woes to challenge Los Blancos, which has happened. Barca entered this week on top of La Liga, looking every inch like a team back in business. Do they have the staying power and experience to keep winning, putting points on the board, and edging toward the title? It’s certainly possible.
A stunning unbeaten run has moved the home team five points clear of Real Madrid and the rest of the chasing pack. There’s still plenty of football to be played in this campaign, and more than a few twists and turns await followers before the trophy is handed to the 2022/23 champions. But there can be no denying they sit in pole position on merit. Madrid hasn’t been poor; Barca has just been excellent since returning from the World Cup in Qatar. Can they keep it going? Every point counts at this stage of the race.
Flicking through the stats attached to this match, we note that Barcelona usually gets things their way against Sunday’s opponents. This will be their second meeting of the season, with the La Liga leaders winning 3-0 in Seville back in the summer. That’s interesting as Barcelona has improved immeasurably since then, and with home advantage, they will be a popular choice with backers. Read the thoughts of our football writers below. We update the form of these rivals, look for clues in past meetings and investigate the league standings.
Barca can take another scalp
What a turnaround it has been at Barcelona following the hurt of last season. Not too long ago, supporters were mourning the departure of Lionel Messi to French Ligue 1 champion PSG. Critics believed the club’s money troubles and transfer embargo would sink the club, but they are fighters, and credit goes to everyone connected to Camp Nou who worked together to pull Barcelona back from the brink. It has been quite the adventure, from looking like they could fold to sitting on top of La Liga with Real Madrid trailing. You can’t help but wonder what’s next for this famous team.
Sitting in pole position and looking every inch like a team capable of holding firm and winning the trophy, Barcelona will be difficult to shift. They are top thanks to 15 wins, two draws, and a single defeat, with 37 goals scored and just six conceded. Those numbers show Barca is the league’s second-highest scorer behind Real Madrid but have conceded the fewest goals. The closest team to matching that defensive record is Blancos on 16. No other team in the league has conceded a single figure. That sturdy backline will be key to any success they enjoy in the coming weeks.
Barca has won each of its previous three games, adding a maximum of nine points to their tally. Their most recent outing saw the leaders beat Girona 1-0 away from home. It wouldn’t be harsh to say a more comfortable margin of victory was expected from them, but Barca deserves credit for digging deep to scrape the win. Pedri scored the goal that mattered on that occasion at the hour mark. It wasn’t pretty, but it was a winning performance.
Sevilla seek a hattrick
Sevilla hosted the Europa League final last season, and residents of the city had hoped to see their team capture silverware this year. Few Spanish football pundits expected them to challenge the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Atletico Madrid for the crowd, but the squad did look good enough to challenge for a top-four finish or one of the league’s European places in the top six. That remains a possibility, but it doesn’t look too likely at this stage following a difficult campaign.
To locate Sevilla in the La Liga table, you must drop all the way down to 13th – unlucky for fans – with the side being closer to relegation than winning the league. But why are they so far off the pace, and what must change for Sevilla to start climbing the ladder? We can get an idea of what has been holding them back by looking closely at Sevilla’s recent form and its reasons for losing games. Their bare stats show Sevilla has won five, drawn six, and lost eight, scoring 21 goals and conceding 26. That is exactly the type of form you would expect to see from a side stuck in the bottom half of the league.
Despite having just 21 points on the board – Cadiz in the relegation zone has 19 points – Sevilla’s recent form suggests they are improving. The visitors have won each of their last two outings, claiming a maximum of six points. They have also won three of their last four as confidence begins to creep back into the squad. Fans hope this is the beginning of a new successful period for their club, but they know better than to get too carried away with a small snapshot of the season.
Barcelona v Sevilla prediction
Barcelona is the current La Liga leader, but they have Real Madrid breathing down their necks. It is now Barca’s title to lose, and the fans know they must do their part to help make the Camp No a fortress – a place opposition players dread to visit. They have done it before and are capable of repeating the feat.
Sevilla has nothing to lose in this match. Yes, they are on a great run of form and have won each of their last two league starts, but all the experts are picking a home win for this match. That will allow the visitors to play with freedom, knowing the longer this match remains level, the more frustrated the supporters will become.
La Liga odds
You can back Barcelona at odds of 1.296 with 22bet. There is also 9.6 if you’d prefer to support Sevilla while the draw is yours at 5.6.
Make sure to bet on Barcelona v Sevilla with 22Bet!
