The reigning Europe League champions Sevilla will open their campaign in the UEFA Champions League when they welcome French Ligue 1 side Lens on Wednesday to Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan for a Group B opening clash for the two sides, with kickoff slated for 19:00GMT.
Key Highlights
Will Sevilla’s Poor Form Domestically Affect their Start to the Champions League Campaign Start?
Sevilla, who finished 12th in La Liga last season and ended the season on a four-match winless run, have had a terrible start to the La Liga season.
They have extended their winless run in La Liga to seven matches between the four matches going into last season and the opening three losses this season.
Sevilla have scored five goals this season while conceding eight times. The fact that they have conceded more goals than they have scored highlights their underlying problems this season.
The scale of the challenge facing José Luis Mendilibar ahead of the opening Group B match of the UEFA Champions League against Lens is the loss of confidence in his side. The gaffer needs to pick up the pieces and get Sevilla playing as a team with belief and trust in their abilities and each other.
A shift to European football will help Sevilla as they seem to get into a good flow on European nights; this will also help them draw a line under their poor start to La Liga start.
Lens’ Winless Start to their Ligue 1 Campaign
Lens, who finished last season’s Ligue 1 campaign a point behind champions PSG, have had a nightmare start to the current domestic campaign. They are winless after five rounds of fixtures, having picked up a solitary point.
Bet hereThe one draw and four losses mean they are second from bottom in Ligue 1, a far cry from the exhilarating highs they had last season. They go into their Group B UEFA Champions League opener on a three-match losing streak domestically, which is a worrying sign.
Franck Haise will look to find solutions to his side’s porous nature of his side’s performances. They have scored just four times in their five outings while conceding 11 times. The 11 goals conceded make Lens’ the worst defensive record at this stage in Ligue 1.
Playing away from home, Lens will need to bolster their defensive solidity when coming up against the Europa League champions. Defending in numbers will be the likely approach from Franck Haise’s men as they look to keep a clean sheet and establish a platform to get something from the match.
Injury Report
Sevilla
José Luis Mendilibar will have several of his first team members unavailable for the home clash against Lens. These include Tanguy Nianzou (hamstring), Marcao (muscle), Alfonso Pastor (torn meniscus), and Marcos Acuna (muscular problems).
Lens
Lens will miss the services of right midfielder Jimmy Cabot for the trip to Sevilla on Wednesday. The 29-year-old is sidelined with a cruciate ligament rupture.
Possible Lineups
Sevilla
M. Dmitrovic; J. Navas, L. Bade, N. Gudelj, A. Pedrosa; D. Sow, I. Rakitic; Suso, Oliver, L. Ocampos. Y. En-Nesyri
Lens
B. Samba; F. Medina, K. Danso, J. Gradit; M. Haidara, S. Spierings, S. Abdul Samed, F. Sotoca; A. Fulgini, A. Thomasson; E. Wahi
Prediction
Sevilla will look to be dominant playing in front of the home fans. They will get a new lease on life playing away from the rigors of La Liga.
Lens will look to be solid at the back; they will defend narrow and deep as they bid to regain some confidence.
Sevilla will have enough to beat Lens and get their first win of the season.
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