Introduction
We are now probably at the most significant and enthralling gameweek of La Liga where we are witnessing clashes among the top four teams who are serious contenders for the title. These matches are indirectly the decisive ones that have a major role in deciding the eventual winner. In one such game, Real Madrid host Sevilla in an all-important encounter at the Alfredo Di Stefano tonight. Analyzing it from a neutral point of view is a crucial fixture for both teams.
Madrid now currently sits in 2nd place in the LaLiga standings and is three points behind Atletico. They though have a game in hand and can go top with a win against Sevilla. The draw of Barca against Atletico again provided a golden opportunity for Madrid to have destiny in their own hands. They have to just win all of their remaining four games to win the title on consecutive occasions. And it starts hereof with this crunch and tricky one against Sevilla.
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On the other hand, Sevilla is dumped out of the title race after their loss against Bilbao last weekend. They have nothing to lose now and can play with an open mindset against Madrid. Their top-four finish is all but granted and they now would be hoping for a better ending to their season. Lopetegui’s side has been exceptional throughout the season and has been good against the big three. It’s now time for them to develop a good performance and pose a serious threat to Madrid. Nonetheless, a quite entertaining match is on the cards between these two teams.
Why to watch out for
There is utterly no reason in the world why you shouldn’t watch this title-deciding match. Though it will not hand over the title to Madrid if they win this, they will take a huge stride forward in achieving it. They would be craving to win the La Liga now after having missed out on the elusive UCL trophy. It remains the only silverware for them to get for salvaging some pride at least. Remaining trophyless isn’t good for a club of Madrid’s pedigree. Zidane will go all out to snatch the trophy this time for the Madrid giants. The equation is simple for them as of now. Win the last four matches and take the trophy home.
Sevilla, though aren’t a club to strike off through. They have played some really quality football this season and at a time were in contention for the title. But losses to rivals at crucial junctures have dented them from winning the cup. They will definitely be taking this match as one which will further cement their position in the top four. A very exciting match is poised for a showdown at the DiStefano with glimmers of hope shining out for Madridistas. Typical weekend nights are meant to be spent like this watching an excellent la Liga match at midnight. So guys, don’t miss this thrilling game between these two La Liga Giants and see which of these sides win. The match is scheduled for kickoff at 19:00 GMT or 00:30 IST…
Recent Form
Real Madrid
The Los Blancos are coming onto this match with a heavy heart after getting knocked out by Chelsea from the quarterfinals of the Champions League. They couldn’t play their top game against them on both legs and it was the reason they were eliminated. Goals from Mason Mount and Timo Werner ensured that Tuchel’s side plays the finals for the first time in 9years. Chelsea wasn’t though the dominant side on their home leg at Stamford Bridge. But they actually broke the backbone of the Madrid team with pacey counterattacks coupled with excellent defending.
Real Madrid had the lion’s share of the possession with almost 70% possession of the ball and 91% pass accuracy. Although having the flow of the match in their match, Zidane’s side mainly faltered in the attacking front. They were left clueless thanks to some excellent defending by the Chelsea back three. Now it’s time for them to learn from the previous mistakes and focus solely on the LaLiga. Their 19 games unbeaten run also ended with this loss and have now won only two of their last five. Zidane would now be hoping for a much-improved show from his side in order to defeat Sevilla and progress further.
Sevilla
The Los Palanganas will be playing this match in a similar fashioned position as that of their rivals. They have suffered a shock 0-1 loss to 9th placed AthleticBilbao and find themselves now out of the title race. A goal from Inaki Williams in the dying minutes of the match killed Sevilla’s outside chances of winning LaLiga. The home side was though dominant throughout the match and had almost 3/4th possession of the ball. They also took a whopping 18 shots out of them only three were on target. They weren’t in the best of their shapes in the last match and that’s why they conceded a late winner. The defensive unit is now looking fragile and leaky as they have given away 6goals in the last 5 matches.
Lopetegui’s main focus will be again to work with his team to figure out the mistakes in defense. Sevilla was on a 10 game unbeaten streak prior to that disgusting loss to Bilbao. Lopetegui would be very disappointed with that result considering the way his side had commanded over the game. Nevertheless, he would definitely be hoping that his side comes out with a much better performance if they’re to upset Madrid.
Team News
Real Madrid
The Madrid giants have been badly hit by injuries throughout this season, disrupting their normal progress. A record number of 60 injuries have occurred to the Madrid players. Their star captain Sergio Ramos is once again ruled out of the clash due to tendinitis in his left hamstring’s semimembranosus muscle. He returned in the Chelsea game and after that suffered an injury in the training session. Ferland Mendy is also not in the squad to face Sevilla due to his calf injury. Lucas Vazquez and Daniel Carvajal are long-term absentees because of their adductor and hamstring injury respectively. Raphael Varane has also not fully recovered from his abductor injury and will miss the match. Apart from these, there are no other injuries as of now in the team.
Predicted Lineups
Sevilla
Unlike Real Madrid, the Sevilla squad is totally fit and there are no known injuries in the team. Joan Jordan is expected to overcome a knock and remain in the starting lineup to face Madrid. Jules Kounde and Youssef En-Nesyri are also anticipated to shrug off minor issues and starting the game. Julen Lopetegui would have a fit squad in his hand to choose the starting lineup.
Predicted Lineups
Head to Head
Madrid and Sevilla have squared off against each other 36 times till date. The Madrid based club holds a clear edge in those meetings with 24 wins out of them. Sevilla have won 11 and the other one didn’t produce any result.
The most recent fixture came earlier in this season in La Liga where Madrid handed them a 1-0 loss. An own goal from their goalie gave their opponents all the three points from that match.
Players to watch out for
Real Madrid
Karim Benzema
The Frenchman has been in sensational form for the Madrid based club throughout the season. He is on another level this year and is the mainstay of the Real Madrid attack. Zidane always depends upon him to deliver Madrid with the much-needed goals upfront. He already has found the back of the net 28 times and also recorded 8 assists. He will again be hungry for scoring goals when his side lock horns with a mighty Sevilla defense.
Thibaut Courtois
The great wall of Madrid, or a man of all seasons, as called by the fans is Thibaut Courtois. The Belgian goalie has been superb for Madrid between the sticks and has saved them from losing situations many times. He is one of the many reasons why Madrid is still playing excellent in spite of uncountable injuries. He has pulled off a total of 109 saves this season Andros among the top five keepers in Europe. Against Sevilla, he also has to come up with a solid show on display in order to help his side register a win.
Sevilla
Youssef En-Nesyri
The Moroccan is in swashbuckling form for his side in this year’s La Liga. En-Nesyri is the main striking force of his team and is instrumental in Sevilla’s impressive run this season. He always has provided Lopetegui with the much-needed goals upfront when it mattered the most. He is a fox in the box and is now among the top five strikers in La Liga. En-Nesyri has already bagged a whopping 23 goals this season. Against Madrid, he will also be looking to polish his scoring boots again and try to score goals.
Ivan Rakitic
The former Barcelona man has been the undisputed star of Sevilla’s midfield and was quite awesome throughout the season. His excellent passing is one of the invaluable gems to his side. He is the pillar in midfield for them and his duel with Kroos would be a pleasure to watch. Although being a midfielder basically, he has notched up 7 goals and 2 assists for them. He has the experience of tackling Madrid previously and will be one of Sevilla’s go-to man against them.
Conclusion
The Alfredo Di Stefano is going to experience a quite enticing clash tonight between the no.2 and no.4 side. Madrid has benefited from Barcelona and Atletico’s draw and will have set their sights on the trophy now. They have to be consistent in their remaining matches to win all of them. The first hurdle to cross is Sevilla and they would aim to bag all three points. Sevilla has nothing but to play for pride now after being out of the title race. They still have a chance mathematically and would aspire to win all of their remaining matches to end the season on a high. Expect a fierce encounter to take place between these sides tonight.
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