| Odds via 22bet | |
| FC Barcelona vs Sevilla | October 20, 21:00 GMT+1 |
| FC Barcelona odds | 1.29 |
| Sevilla odds | 9.1 |
| Draw | 5.85 |
| Over\Under | Total 2,5: 2.57/1.4 |
As is often the case during international breaks, the debate on player fatigue has resurfaced for Barcelona. Lamine Yamal played against Denmark but was sent back to Barcelona after experiencing discomfort.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta was angered, calling Luis de la Fuente reckless for even considering playing Lamine Yamal against Serbia.
On the other hand, this week comes with good news. On the bright side, Fermin López has recovered from injury, while Gavi and Dani Olmo are making progress in their recoveries.
Rumours suggest Gavi might play for about 15 minutes against Sevilla, though this hasn’t been confirmed by Barcelona coach Hansi Flick.
Dani Olmo’s recovery is crucial, with Barcelona set to face Bayern Munich just days after their match against Sevilla. Another question is whether Ansu Fati will play, as he’s been fit for a month but has yet to be featured under Hansi Flick.
| Recent Form | WWLWW |
| Key Player to Watch | Dani Olmo |
| Team Strengths | Fast-paced attacks through the wings and centre, aggressive offside trap |
| Team Weaknesses | Dangerous offside trap, a lack of solid rest defence, and a midfield that gets easily overwhelmed. |
| Key injuries and suspensions. | Ter Stegen, Ronald Araújo, Andreas Christensen, Gavi (doubtful), Dani Olmo (doubtful), Marc Bernal, Lamine Yamal |
Sevilla head coach García Pimienta will return to Barcelona for the first time as manager. He coached the youth teams for about a decade, and many of the players he coached are now part of Barcelona’s first team.
Sevilla has struggled to maintain consistent form in the league, largely due to a lack of dynamic players on the wings.
Sevilla sits 12th in La Liga with 12 points, having won three, drawn three, and lost three. One noteworthy statistic is that the team has yet to win two games in a row. The same applies to defeats and draws.
The other individual who will be making a comeback to Barcelona is none other than ‘Peque’, who played several years in Barcelona’s youth academy but was unable to make the step to the first team. However, García Pimienta will have to do without Saúl Ñiguez, injured.
| Recent Form | WLWDW |
| Key Player to Watch | Dodi Lukebakio |
| Team Strengths | Solid individuals in the wings, cohesive squad, resilient in the defence. |
| Team Weaknesses | Lack of quality in the forwards, lack of dynamic profiles |
| Key injuries and suspensions. | Saúl Ñiguez |
FC Barcelona and Sevilla have met on numerous occasions, with 68 encounters between them. Barcelona has dominated, winning 40 times, while Sevilla has emerged victorious just 12 times. The two also share sixteen draws.
Barcelona won the last encounter in May, during the final weeks of the season. The Catalans won 2-1, with goals from Lewandowski and Fermín López. Sevilla’s last victory came in 2021, when they won 2-0 in the Copa del Rey, with goals from Jules Koundé and Ivan Rakitić.
This didn’t stop Barcelona from qualifying for the next round, as the second leg ended in a Catalonian victory (3-0).
Bet hereLamine Yamal would have been chosen as the player to focus on, but his uncertainty due to his discomfort is likely to prevent him from featuring against Sevilla. Alejandro Balde could be Barcelona’s most dangerous player against Sevilla, even though he doesn’t play as a forward. It has been previously mentioned that Sevilla lacks dynamism on the wings.
Balde is unlikely to face much resistance on Sevilla’s flanks. Known for his athleticism, Balde is often compared to Alphonso Davies. He fits Hansi Flick’s ideas well, despite his crossing still needs to be polished.
Nonetheless, Balde will be an outlet for the team in transitions who will have the physical advantage.
On Sevilla’s side, picking a player is difficult. Dodi Lukebakio has been one of the best players going forward for Pimienta, as he is Sevilla’s best player in front of the goal. He starts as a winger on paper but often ends up being the team’s most dangerous player in the penalty box.
This is the last match where Barcelona will have the chance to make mistakes. They will face Bayern Munich and Real Madrid in the coming days. It’s also the only fixture where Hansi Flick can try to integrate players like Gavi, Ansu Fati and Dani Olmo, who are returning from injury and aren’t sharp yet.
Barcelona can also not afford to lose any points here, to build up momentum for the Clasico. A mistake against Sevilla could allow Real Madrid to steal the first spot if Barcelona fails to win against Real Madrid or Sevilla.
There’s no doubt that Barcelona will attack a majority of the time, but the question is whether Sevilla can limit the damage. Sevilla has been an ageing team in the last few years, and this is something they need to show is past them.
Barcelona has demolished sides in La Liga who are passive and lack organised pressing schemes. Spain has witnessed how effective Barcelona is on the counter since the arrival of Hansi Flick, who has used a similar approach to his time as a coach in Germany. It’s not common for La Liga, and teams are having a hard time stopping it.
Sevilla is the type of team that tends to struggle the most against Barcelona, as they lack the offensive edge and boldness needed to exploit Barcelona’s weaknesses.
It’s far from impossible, but Sevilla needs to be more precise and daring in its approach if it wants to snatch some points away from Barcelona. The Andalusians will suffer with players like Jesús Navas and Nemanja Gudelj against fast players like Alejandro Balde and Pedri.
Not many teams have suffered by sitting back or remaining passive against Barcelona. At the same time, Sevilla cannot afford to run up and down the wings where Barcelona boasts an athletic advantage.
Some players, like Raphinha, had a great international break which means that he will come back full of confidence. The Brazilian has been one of Flick’s most important players since the German coach arrived.
Considering that Sevilla lacks movement, it wouldn’t come as a surprise if he were to open the score.
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