Barcelona have always been a strong team in the La Liga, but they have not enjoyed a great start to the season so far. They have already suffered two losses, and lie on second place, two points away from the top. The Spanish giants will not have it any easy in their next match as they are set to take on one of the best teams so far in the competition, Sevilla, at Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on Sunday.
Barcelona, after losing to teams like Alaves and Celta Vigo, cannot afford another hiccup against any team in the La Liga. After their loss to Celta, they have won three matches on a trot. Barcelona will hope to keep their La Liga winning streak intact, but even manager Luis Enrique feels it is not going to be easy to beat Sevilla at home.
"It will be a difficult game as Sevilla are in a strong position. To win we will need to get the upper hand in the individual battles all over the pitch. Sevilla has had a spectacular start to the season playing good football and they are very hard to beat at home. If they are in a strong league position it is because they deserve it and this will be a tough game against a difficult opponent," Barcelona's official website quoted Enrique as saying.
Though Barcelona are aware of the tough fixture, they will hope to take inspiration from their last win against Sevilla, who lost 5-0 in aggregate in the Spanish Super Cup earlier in the season. There is no doubt about the world-class team, which Enrique is in-charge of.
With players like Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar, they can defeat any team in the world. But, they will also need other players such as Ivan Rakitic and Javier Mascherano to bring their experience into play and encourage his players to perform during the night.
The match is going to be intense and be assured that the home team will not give an inch to the Barca players. Sevilla's style of high-pressing game is treat to watch, and they have it in them to scare one of the best teams in the world.
Sevilla play with huge determination, irrespective of the opponent, and does not give up, making them a formidable team to beat. It is such a positive attitude, which has helped them claim fourth spot with only one loss. They have a huge chance of climbing higher up the table with a win against Barcelona, which should spur them to produce their best performance.
Samir Nasri, who is doubtful for the clash, has been instrumental for the Spanish side after joining on loan from Manchester City. However, he has been included in the squad. His passing game has had a good impact on Jorge Sampaoli's positive results. In his absence, Steven N'Zonzi shoulder responsibility in the midfield, and has top provide quality balls for frontman Luciano Vietto.
Irrespective of players, who will feature for both the sides, the match is expected to be a cracker.
Where to watch live
Sevilla vs Barcelona is set to start at 8:45 pm local time (1:15 am IST 7:45 pm GMT)
India: TV - Sony Six/HD. Live streaming - Sony Liv.
Spain: TV Movistar +
UK: TV - Sky Sports 1/HD, Now TV. Live streaming - Sky Go.
USA, Australia, Middle East: TV - beIN Sports. Live streaming - beIN Sports Connect.
