Sevilla will be aiming to secure only their second victory of the 2023-24 campaign when they host Almeria at Estadio Ramon in a thrilling La Liga clash on Tuesday night.
Match Preview
The home side, currently positioned 16th in the table, head into the match following a goalless draw with Osasuna.
On the other hand, Almeria, who occupy the bottom spot, played out a 2-2 draw against Valencia in their last outing.
Last season, Sevilla finished 12th in La Liga, marking their worst final standing in Spain’s top flight since their relegation in the 1999-2000 season.
Under the guidance of Jose Luis Mendilibar, the team managed to clinch the Europa League title, earning them a place in the group stage of the 2023-24 Champions League.
Their European journey began with a 1-1 draw against Lens at Estadio Ramon last week.
Returning to La Liga action, Sevilla registered a goalless draw against Osasuna, placing them 16th in the standings with four points from five matches.
The team initially struggled, suffering three consecutive defeats against Valencia, Alaves, and Girona.
However, they showed signs of improvement, securing victories in their last two matches, including a 1-0 win over Las Palmas in their most recent home fixture.
As Sevilla aims to continue their positive momentum, a triumph in this match would provide a significant boost ahead of their challenging away fixture against Barcelona on September 29.
Meanwhile, Almeria enters the match fresh from their 2-2 draw with Valencia. Sergio Arribas shone for the home side at Power Horse Stadium, scoring twice and bringing his tally to four goals for the season.
Having narrowly avoided relegation last season, finishing in 17th place, Almeria’s struggles in the current campaign are not entirely unexpected.
With just two points from six league matches, secured through two draws and four defeats, they currently occupy the bottom position in the table.
Vicente Moreno’s side commenced their season with consecutive losses to Rayo Vallecano and Real Madrid before earning a point against Cadiz.
However, subsequent defeats to Celta Vigo and Villarreal followed by the draw with Valencia have left them searching for their first victory of the season.
Sevilla’s La Liga form: L L L W D
Sevilla’s overall form: L L L W D D
Almeria’s La Liga form: L L D L L D
Team News:
Sevilla is currently grappling with several injuries, with Mariano Diaz, Sergio Ramos, Suso, Marcos Acuna, Marcao, Tanguy Nianzou, and Alfonso Pastor all sidelined.
Mendilibar may make changes to the squad that faced Osasuna in their previous match, possibly reinstating Youssef En-Nesyri at center-forward.
Adria Pedrosa and Erik Lamela are also expected to start, while Dodi Lukebakio, who scored against Las Palmas, should retain his place in the lineup.
On the other hand, Almeria will be without Marc Pubill, Alejandro Pozo, and Martin Svidersky due to injuries.
Although no fresh fitness concerns arose after the Valencia clash, there are likely to be alterations to the squad.
Largie Ramazani could make an appearance in place of Adri Embarba, while Ibrahima Kone might replace Dion Lopy in midfield—a substitution witnessed during the second half of the Valencia match.
Possible Starting Lineups:
Sevilla:
Nyland;
Sanchez, Bade, Gudelj, Pedrosa;
Jordan, Rakitic;
Ocampos, Lamela, Lukebakio;
En-Nesyri
Almeria:
Maximiano;
Chumi, Montes, Gonzalez, Akieme;
Robertone, Kone;
Ramazani, Melero, Arribas;
Suarez
Prediction:
Our prediction for this highly anticipated clash is a narrow 1-0 victory for Sevilla.
While Almeria has the potential to secure a favorable result, Sevilla’s recent unbeaten streak, including their win over Las Palmas in their last home league match, gives them the slight advantage.