Barcelona vs Sevilla Match Preview
FC Barcelona have two main options ahead of their game against Sevilla: move 5 points ahead of the Sevillistas in La Liga table, or drop a point behind them.

Getting ready: Barcelona are not prepared to give Sevilla free chances...
As at now, Barca still share their top position with the brave Levante. They are then followed by arch-rivals Real Madrid - who are just behind with 16 points - and then followed by fourth place Sevilla, who have 15.
Both the Catalans and Sevilla are unbeaten this season. Marcelino García Toral’s boys have drawn thrice in La Liga so far, while Pep Guardiola’s club have only failed to grab wins twice.
Seeing how close they are in the race for the league title at present, it will be important for each side to try to get in control of the match in the early minutes. On several occasions under the Guardiola era, Barcelona’s midfielders have opted to prove their power by keeping the ball in their zone for very long.
On Saturday night though, Los Cules will want to go for goal early, so as to make sure they do not fall in the trap of their visitors. Fortunately for Barcelona, this will be their third consecutive home match at the Nou Camp, in a space of seven days.
This means a boost of health for them, and eventually, a great advantage over Sevilla - who will already have to deal with the intimidating atmosphere at the Camp Nou. As a matter of fact, in their last three meetings against Los Rojiblancos in all competitions, Barca have scored 13 goals and conceded none.
This is certainly a very negative statistic for Sevilla, but things could change on Saturday evening. Although playmaker Alvaro Negredo is presently fighting to shake off a hamstring injury, Coach Marcelino could still aim for a sharp attacking formation with Frederic Kanoute leading the front as a lone striker.
Knowing how willing Sevilla’s players are to create a new chapter in their rivalry against Barcelona, it is surely important for Guardiola to prepare his side even for the biggest surprise. There is not much to worry about apparently; Cesc Fabregas is now partly fit and could get in action.
Lionel Messi, David Villa and Pedro’s presence should normally be enough for the hosts to snatch a few goals. At the back, Abidal, Puyol and Mascherano are expected to team up well to cover up the space left by the inactive Gerard Pique.
Barcelona vs Sevilla Match Report
Barcelona faced Sevilla with hopes of snatching another 3 points in La Liga. Unfortunately, they could only manage a bitter 0-0 draw.

Barcelona's forwards were unable to beat Varas...
The hosts began with a 4-3-3 formation with Andres Iniesta, Lionel Messi and David Villa forming the front zone. Sevilla relied on a 4-2-3-1 structure, placing Manu Del Moral as the main man in charge of the goals.
Iniesta came close twice in the first 10 minutes, forcing goalkeeper Varas to react rapidly. However, it was Abidal’s mistake in his own half on 12 minutes that gave Navas a great chance on goal. But with Valdes alert, the score line had to stay the same.
Sevilla kept fighting with courage as they refused to be intimidated by the home crowd. Indeed, they managed to stay in control for most of the first half.
Barcelona almost thought they had received a golden opportunity to grab what would have been a precious lead, when they accused Fabio of handling the ball inside the box on 26 minutes. Their protests didn’t bring any major change though, as the referee waved play on.
Frustration then began to show on the faces of Los Cules, who just seemed unable to beat the active Varas despite making visible efforts.
In the second half, Messi immediately revealed the intent of the improving Barca side with a dangerous free-kick from 30 yards out. Surely, the impressive Varas and his strong defenders were the ones who helped Sevilla stay alive for much longer.
It appeared the Catalans decided to keep the pressure on their opponents with a series of long-range shots - thanks to nice moves by Messi, Villa and Iniesta.
Coach Marcelino opted for a change of style after the hour mark, sending on Kanoute for Manu Del Moral. That substitution still did not take anything off the load on the shoulders of the Sevilla back players. More precisely, it did not benefit Varas in any way.
Cesc Fabregas then came on in the last quarter of the match for the hosts, making the Barca front even hotter. The Catalans kept pushing and pushing in search of the winner, but it wasn’t until the 92nd minute that their moment truly arrived.
Iniesta went down inside the box subsequent to a foul by Fazio; it had to be a penalty. Things got delayed though, due to Kanoute getting in Messi’s way then grabbing Fabregas round the neck.
The Malian eventually saw red, but with Messi missing from the spot, the drama was not too disturbing for the visitors. More entertaining action in the very late stages of the match saw Valdes get booked and Navarro get sent off.
The match finally ended goalless at the disappointment of the relentless home side. Sevilla’s Varas could fairly look upon himself as the hero of the game; whereas in the meantime, it is Real Madrid who can laugh - having claimed the top spot while Barcelona sit in second place.