Sevillians and Catalans face off this Sunday, starting at 9:00 PM, in the match corresponding to Matchday 23 of the EA Sports League. The Sánchez Pizjuán hosts this duel, a classic of our Spanish league, with a Sevilla that wants to return to Europe. The match can be watched on Movistar+ LaLiga and minute by minute through our social media @carpetasblaugranas
The person in charge of officiating the match will be José Hernández Hernández, joined in the VAR by Carlos del Cerro Grande. The 'culés' have only lost 4 matches out of the 35 he has officiated, the others are divided into 20 victories and 11 draws. Meanwhile, the Sevillian team has been refereed almost the same number of times (32), but they have lost 9 times and drawn 8.
How Sevilla Is Coming
García Pimienta's team is going through a moment of uncertainty, mainly because they don't know what their goal is for this year. By history and squad, aiming for Europe should be what they seek, but the results are not joining enough. Since December 14, they haven't won at their stadium and in the last 5 matchdays, they have only achieved victory against Girona.
The Sevillian coach has commented, in a press conference, that they must be "brave with the ball" and "make it an uncomfortable match regardless of the score." He has praised Flick's Barça several times, as the way his colleague has imposed playing suits the blaugranas "like a glove." Lastly, he hasn't wanted to highlight a specific player, although he has generally spoken of a squad that shows a lot of "competitive hunger."
Regarding the squad, for this match he will not have Carmona available due to suspension nor the injured Lokonga, Adams, and Nianzou. We will see if he maintains the line of 4 at the back or if he prefers to be a bit more cautious and plays with 3 center-backs and 2 wing-backs. Lastly, the doubt on the left wing, with two names for one position: Vargas or Ejuke.
How Barça Is Coming
The blaugranas managed to qualify for the semifinals of the Copa del Rey after thrashing Valencia last Thursday. Besides securing that last spot, Flick was able to rest several key players from the starting eleven, so they will arrive more rested. For example, Lewandowski didn't play a single minute and Cubarsí or Balde only the first half, something crucial given how tight the schedule is.
The German coach knows the difficulty of Sunday's match, partly because of the atmosphere caused there, so they must impose their soccer. Regarding whether he will watch the classic or not, he has commented that he will, but that he will first be watching Barça Athletic. Regarding the refereeing controversy that has arisen, he believes that it would be good to talk to them at some point.
Regarding the possible XI, he has revealed that Lewandowski will be a starter and that the rest can play, including Gavi, Íñigo, and Dani Olmo. Ferran is one who could come in to give some rest to one of the wingers. The other doubt is in the center-back position, as he can choose between Íñigo, Araújo, or an Eric García who has completed good matches.
Match Keys
Refereeing Pressure: since Madrid published a statement criticizing the referees' performance, the refereeing collective is under scrutiny. In this match, it will be no different, so every decision made will be closely examined, we'll see if the match helps him. Years ago, there was already controversy in this same match and with the same referee, after disallowing a Sevilla goal that would have meant a draw.
Lewy's Mobility: the Polish forward is a key figure for this Barça's scheme, both for his goals and his movements. Many times, the way to get the ball out is to look for Lewandowski up top and have him play with the inside to create danger. That pivot movement helps the team transition, so if Sevilla presses high, they will need him to be accurate and precise to break out quickly.
Frenkie or Casadó: the pivot position remains one of the doubts in Barça's eleven, partly because the Dutchman has improved his performance. Everything depends on how Flick wants to approach the match, mainly regarding ball distribution, as Frenkie is better than Casadó in that aspect. However, if he sees that the team needs a more positional pivot to cut the play and press higher, the spot should be for the '17'.
Bench Depth: it seems, after watching the match at Mestalla, that Barça has many players engaged in a positive dynamic. Both Ferran and Eric García have made the most of their minutes, one contributing numbers and the other vying for that center-back position alongside Cubarsí. This can help Barça if things don't go well from the start, due to the options they can have from the bench.
