Barça is on the rise and Sevilla has not started the season well at all. But Pizjuán has always been and will always be one of the most difficult fields in the League. Here are my five tactical keys for this great meeting:
After Xavi surprised by lining up Jules Koundé against Valladolid, this position is again an unknown for tonight. Considering the way Lopetegui's men play (4-3-3 except for surprise), it is most likely that Barça will repeat with a defense of four. There is little doubt that both the Frenchman and Araujo will start from the start, but there is uncertainty about who will be on the right. The high pressure that the sevillistas are used to doing at home means that seeing Koundé again on the right is perhaps the best option. Just as he also wins the presence of Ferran in the eleven. His characteristics suit tonight's game very well.
An area of the field in which Barça is clearly superior is in its central defensive axis. And the team has to take advantage of it. The departure of Diego Carlos and Koundé has greatly reduced Sevilla's potential at the back. Rekik (carrying discomfort) lacks positioning and agility to be central and Nianzou still has experience and some forcefulness. Lewandowski will be far superior in any type of short maneuver (uncheck, win zone, melee or back game). Sending him balls in conditions will be a productive fact.
When Barça has the ball in the opposite field, they are going to run into something different than usual. And it is that, even playing in a 4-3-3, Sevilla does not help the wings with the centrals but with the midfielders. And when this happens, it creates a good margin to enter the inside lanes. If the Barça interiors enter through there they will have options.
When Lopetegui's men attack in position and in the opposite field, they spread out very high with the wings. And they are not quick to retreat. That is why, right now, Sevilla is a very vulnerable team in transitions. When Barça has the ball, they don't have to think twice to get out quickly. And very important, go outside. If you do, you can reach very clear scoring situations.
With the sale of Lucas Ocampos this week, the sevillistas will have to generate new offensive leadership. In this sense and, to this day, Erick Lamela is the most productive player in Sevilla. Starting from the midfielder or from outside as a winger, he is clairvoyant at the associative level and quick to step on the area. With an average of 1.70 key passes per game, he is the biggest chance maker for Lopetegui's men right now. Watch out for him. On the other hand, and in a Sevilla in which it is costing them both to generate and to score, Barça will have to be very attentive to the strategy because they work it well. That's how the sevillista goal came last year and that's how he's already scored a goal at the start of the season.
