Is Sevilla finally getting on track?
Espanyol Barcelona will be looking to put in a good performance against Sevilla and get a good result if possible. But against an opponent whose backs are almost against the wall, some questions arise before the direct duel.
In the run-up to the match between Espanyol Barcelona and Sevilla, the odds indicate a slight favourite role for the visitors. Individually, the Andalusians have relatively clear advantages, but the current form speaks a completely different language here.
Sevilla have not only made a bad start nationally, but now also internationally. The task now is to counteract this. Especially defensively, the guest from Andalusia must show a good performance, because there have been some problems recently.
Espanyol Barcelona – Statistics & current form
Espanyol Barcelona and coach Diego Martinez are once again hoping to clinch a place in the league as early and as confidently as possible this season. The most recent result was a 1-0 away win against Athletic Bilbao, who started strongly. This victory was of enormous importance. Espanyol Barcelona made some changes to their squad in the summer, especially in midfield.
In general, however, the squad is quite small. 22 players are in it, which could be a problem for the long season. In addition, the start did not go too well, despite the recent victory, the team is at the bottom of the table. The goal difference after four games is 4:7, so not much is working offensively yet. In addition, Espanyol Barcelona has lost both home games.
Espanyol Barcelona have only won one of their last eleven games. The weak start to the season was already evident in the previous season. It is already clear that it will be a difficult and long fight for the hosts to stay in the league in 2022/23.
Espanyol Barcelona want to go one better
After all, the defence has not allowed too much so far, the seven goals conceded are still within reason. Apart from Real Madrid, however, there has not yet been an opponent who can be categorised in any way as belonging to the upper echelons of the La Liga table. And there wasn’t much to be gained against the royals, with Espanyol losing 1:3 in that game. Nevertheless, they will now try to improve their performance, because the last game in Bilbao gave them courage and made them broaden their chest.
It is striking that Espanyol Barcelona, despite some decent defensive efforts, have only managed to score nil in one of their last eleven matches. The team did not concede many goals during this period, but the goalkeeper had to make regular saves. In addition, there is currently a lack of flexibility in the offensive area, the team is too dependent on Joselu. At least newcomer Braithwaite scored right from the start.
The hosts do not stand for spectacle, moreover, the guests still have big problems with all processes. Therefore, in the run-up to the Espanyol Barcelona vs. Sevilla match, our prediction is that less than 2.5 goals will be scored.
Predicted line-up of Espanyol Barcelona :
Fernandez – El Hilali, Calero, Cabrera, Olivan – Souza, Keidi Bare, Exposito – Javi Puado, Braithwaite, Joselu
Last matches played by Espanyol Barcelona :
La Liga
04/09/2022 – Athletic Bilbao 0 – 1 Espanyol
29/08/2022 – Espanyol 1 – 3 Real Madrid
20/08/2022 – Espanyol 0 – 2 Rayo Vallecano
13/08/2022 – Celta Vigo 2 – 2 Espanyol
Club friendlies
06/08/2022 – Espanyol 0 – 0 SSC Napoli
Sevilla – Statistics & current form
A lot has changed at Sevilla FC in the summer, but at the moment it is not positive. Because in the first weeks of the season there were some negative results. The performances were not ideal either. During the week, Manchester City also came and with 0:4 this game was lost. That was clear and increased the pressure on coach Julen Lopetegui. He has to get the team on track before the internationals or face dismissal.
The team, which actually likes working with the coach, knows that too. Defensively, in particular, things were in a mess in the summer, as the core defence left the club. Nianzou and a midfielder have had to play together so far due to injuries, and not much has worked.
The Andalusians have played five competitive games so far, none of which have been won. Worse still, Sevilla have conceded twelve goals so far in the new season. The defence was still the trademark of this team in 2021/22, now it is currently the big problem.
Sevilla wants to change things
Against Manchester City, the visitors tried to make their defence more compact. With defender Telles in midfield, they should succeed. However, the defensive problems continued to be hair-raising. And offensively, too, there was too little from the Lopetegui eleven. This means that Januzaj and Dolberg may now get their chance in the first eleven.
Changes will now also be made at the weekend, because the results so far have been weak and time is pressing. Against the Catalans, too, the top priority is to regain our old defensive strength. If that succeeds, then a positive result can be achieved. Due to the omens, our value tip before the match between Espanyol Barcelona and Sevilla is that not both teams will score.
Predicted Sevilla line-up:
Bono – Jesus Navas, Nianzou, Rekik, Acuña – Delaney, Fernando, Rakitic, Januzaj, Isco – Dolberg
Last matches played by Sevilla:
Champions League Grp. G
07/09/2022 – Sevilla FC 0 – 4 Manchester City
La Liga
04/09/2022 – Sevilla FC 0 – 3 FC Barcelona
28/08/2022 – Almeria 2 – 1 Sevilla FC
20/08/2022 – Sevilla FC 1 – 1 Real Valladolid
13/08/2022 – Osasuna Pamplona 2 – 1 Sevilla FC
Espanyol Barcelona – Sevilla Direct comparison / H2H record
The duel between these two teams can be described as a real traditional duel. 77 games won by Sevilla, 49 times Espanyol Barcelona were the winners. 31 games ended in a draw, in the pre-season there was a 1-1 draw in Barcelona and a 2-0 home win for Sevilla.
Espanyol Barcelona – Sevilla Tip
Espanyol Barcelona will be looking to add to the Andalusian crisis at home to Sevilla. A home win would be a disaster for the visitors as Sevilla look to quickly get back on track and move up.
The focus is on compactness. The Andalusians need to find their defensive strengths again. For this reason, our tip before the match between Espanyol Barcelona and Sevilla is that less than 2.5 goals will be scored.
