La Liga Finale: Sevilla vs Barcelona Preview
In Form Barcelona Head to Seville
Disappointing Campaign for Sevilla
Since losing to Catalan rivals to Girona on May 4th, Barcelona have rattled off three straight wins. FCB have clinched second place in La Liga and they close out the season at Sevilla on Saturday. Sevilla started out the season in the Champions League but are only eight points outside of the relegation zone. To end the season on a high note, Sevilla will look to end their three-game losing streak on Saturday. We’ll check out the latest betting odds, trends and team news in our Sevilla vs Barcelona preview.
Sevilla vs Barcelona
Date & Time: Saturday, May 25th, 3:00 p.m. ET
Location: Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, Seville, Spain
Sevilla vs Barcelona Head-to-Head
Sevilla vs Barcelona previews note that Sevilla haven’t won a match vs. Barcelona in La Liga since October 2015. Barcelona are currently on a four game winning streak vs. Sevilla and Barça have kept clean sheets in each of those matches. Earlier this season, Barcelona picked up a 1-0 win at the Olympic Stadium as a Sergio Ramos own goal was the difference. Sevilla’s only two wins over Barcelona in the last 25 meetings have come in the Copa del Rey.
Sevilla at Risk of Worst Finish for 24 Years
Sevilla failed to score for a second straight match when they fell 2-0 to Athletic Club last Sunday. Given they’ve lost their last three matches on the La Liga schedule, Sevilla have slipped to 13th place in the table. If they fail to win on Saturday, it would mark their lowest finish in La Liga since the 1999-2000 season. Sevilla also came in 12th place last season but their Europa League triumph helped mask their struggles.
Next season, Sevilla will not participate in UEFA competitions and they’ll have to go back to the drawing board. Still, there are some signs of improvement. Since winning just two of their first 17 games of the season, Sevilla have won eight of their last 20. Youssef En-Nesyri ranks seventh in the La Liga stats, with 15 goals. En-Nesyri has scored three of Sevilla’s last five goals and this could potentially be his last match with the club.
Sergio Ramos has had a successful second spell at Sevilla, at least personally, but the legendary defender could leave for a lucrative deal in MLS or Saudi Arabia in the Summer. Isaac Romero and Kike Salas have emerged as exciting prospects but Sevilla are short on other young talents. For all of their struggles, they have managed a top half offensive output this season. All of Suso, Romero, Erik Lamela, Oliver Torres, Nemanja Gudelj and Djibril Sow could miss the finale with injuries.
Barcelona Recover to Take Second Place
With Iñigo Martinez and Pau Cubarsi starting at center back over the last three games, Barcelona have kept three straight clean sheets. The defensive improvement has been much needed, after Xavi’s side conceded nine goals in their previous three matches. The Barcelona standings showed FCB trailing Girona after this month’s meeting. With three straight wins, second-placed Barcelona have recovered to finish ahead of the Catalan up-and-comers.
Last Sunday, Barcelona took down Rayo Vallecano 3-0 in a comfortable victory. Marc-Andre ter Stegen had some important saves to make but Barcelona were excellent at the other end. Robert Lewandowski scored his 18th goal of the season to put FCB ahead and substitute Pedri scored a brace. Pedri has dealt with injury problems this season but it’s clear the former Golden Boy Award winner still has a ton of quality.
Xavi made a u-turn on his future last month and decided he’ll stay as Barcelona manager next season. However, there have been rumors that Barcelona president Joan Laporta could sack Xavi after an internal rift. Despite the turmoil, it’s hard to argue with the on-field results over the past few weeks. Just Frenkie De Jong, Gavi and Alex Balde will be out on Saturday as Barcelona try to win a fourth straight match.
Sevilla vs Barcelona Match Analysis & Odds
Barcelona have been Sevilla’s bogeyman in La Liga for quite some time now. Although the Lionel Messi era has come and gone, little has changed in this fixture. Barcelona rarely lose vs. Sevilla, even on the road, and Barça are -120 favorites for this one. Lewandowski may be functionally out of the Golden Boot race, but two more strikes would take his season total to 20.
Sevilla vs Barcelona previews note that Sevilla are just 6-5-7 at home this season and the hosts are +290 underdogs. Meanwhile, a draw is priced at +300 odds and it’d be Sevilla’s 12th of the campaign. Sevilla are just 1-1-5 vs. La Liga’s top four this season and their injury problems could certainly hurt them for this one.
Barcelona will certainly look to keep a fourth straight clean sheet and no Sevilla player outside of En-Nesyri has been consistently getting on the scoresheet this season. Dealing with crosses will be a big focus for FCB in this match. Bettors can find Sevilla +0.5 at even odds, while over three goals are priced at -125. While Barcelona matches have averaged 3.24 goals per game this season, Sevilla games have been lower-scoring, at 2.68 goals per.
