Preview: Chance to go top again should be extra incentive for Barcelona
Barcelona will head into Sunday’s match away to Sevilla knowing that a victory could put them back in the lead. Although Real Madrid defeated Villareal on Saturday at the Bernabeu, front-runners Atletico Madrid were unable to grab points away to Almeria.
Tata Martino’s men will now try to grab three points from a Sevilla side that has only won five matches at home, from a total of 10.
Sunday’s match will be the first time in over a year that Barcelona take the pitch in league play, out of first place. With that said, Martino will have to make some adjustments to his squad.
Jordi Alba and Javier Mascherano are suspended. That will likely see Carles Puyol or Marc Bartra be inserted into the starting XI to lineup alongside Gerard Pique. Adriano could also get the start at left back, given Alba’s absence.
Fortunately for the visitors, Sevilla have failed to win any of their previous four matches. Unai Emery will also have to make some adjustments on Sunday, if his side is to break out of their slump.
Stephen M’Bia is injured and will not take part in the match, while Coke is out due to a suspension. Chelsea midfielder Marko Marin had to return to Germany for personal reasons, making him one less option for Emery. He will at least be able to call on Daniel Carriço and Jairo, who both return to the squad.
When these two sides met earlier in the season at the Camp Nou, Coke’s 90th minute equalizer looked to have deflated the hosts. But a stoppage time goal from Alexis Sanchez earned the home side the victory, and the important three points.
Seeing how entertaining that first fixture was, Sunday’s promises to be another great affair. The visitors have more than enough talent on paper to come away with the victory, but Sevilla could prove difficult to break down.
Where to watch this match - live stream, start time, TV channels, live scores
Watch Sevilla vs Barcelona live on Sunday, February 9, 2014:
In Canada at 15:00 ET on: beIN Sports Play Canada
In the UK at 20:00 GMT on: Sky Sports 1/HD
In the USA at 15:00 ET on: beIN Sports Play, beIN Sports USA, SiriusXM FC, beIN Sports en Español
Fans in Spain can follow the match on Canal+ 1 / HD / 30. For those of you who are outside of these areas, be sure to visit the Sevilla vs Barcelona match page for full TV listings.
