Valencia will look to get their season back on track when they hit the road to square up against Sevilla, who have been winless in their last two outings.
Both Sevilla and Valencia are heading into this fixture on the back of disappointing results, and they will be eager to secure all three points when they face each other on Saturday night.
The home team are seventh on the table with seven points in four outings. While they started the campaign with back-to-back wins, Sevilla have dropped points in their last two outings. Following a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Atletico Madrid, Sevilla could only manage a 1-1 draw against Espanyol last time out.
Arouna Sangante’s red card didn’t help their cause as they played the majority of the second half with ten men. They could have still secured all three points, but an injury-time strike by Marcos Fernandez spoiled the party.
Sevilla will hope to get things right against Valencia, who are rock bottom with just one point in their four outings. While the visitors started the campaign with a 0-0 draw against Celta Vigo, things have only gone downhill for them since.
They lost 1-0 to Real Betis and 3-1 to Deportivo de A Coruna before getting smashed 5-0 by Barcelona last time out. They were completely outplayed by the Catalan giants and will have to put up a much better performance to stand a chance against Sevilla away from home. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Arouna Sangante is suspended for this fixture following a red card last time out. Meanwhile, Marcao (foot) and Ruben Vargas (physical discomfort) remain on the sidelines for the home team.
The home team are expected to line up in a 4-3-3 formation, with Odysseas Vlachodimos starting between the sticks. Juan Iglesias and Gabriel Suazo should feature as the full-backs, while Julio Diaz is likely to partner Kike Salas in the heart of the defence.
In midfield, Giorgi Kochorashvili, Jon Guridi and Lucien Agoume should form the central midfield trio. The three midfielders will look to control possession and dictate the tempo of the game.
Miguel Sierra and Lucas Stassin are expected to occupy the wide areas, providing width to their attacks. Robbie Ure will be the one leading the line against Valencia at home.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Vlachodimos; Iglesias, Diaz, Salas, Suazo; Kochorashvili, Agoume, Guridi; Sierra, Ure, Stassin
The visitors remain without quite a few first-team stars because of injury. Jose Copete (meniscus), Justin De Haas (ankle), Guido Rodriguez (muscle), Diego Lopez (cruciate ligament), Sergi Canos (cruciate ligament), and Umar Sadiq (hamstring) are all currently sidelined.
Meanwhile, Dimitri Foulquier, Luis Rioja and Mouctar Diakhaby will all be assessed before they finalise the squad.
Valencia are expected to line up in a 5-4-1 formation, with Stole Dimitrievski starting between the sticks. Pablo Maffeo and Jose Gaya should feature as the wing-backs, while Arnau Martinez, Iker Cordoba and Cesar Tarrega are likely to form the back three.
In midfield, Javi Guerra and Jesus Vazquez should occupy the wide areas, providing width and supporting the attack. Pepelu and Aliou Dieng are expected to form the central midfield pairing, with the duo tasked with protecting the backline and ensuring Sevilla midfielders do not run the show.
Up front, Hugo Duro will lead the line for the visitors.
Probable Lineup (5-4-1): Dimitrievski; Maffeo, Martinez, Cordoba, Tarrega, Gaya; Guerra, Pepelu, Dieng, Vazquez; Duro
The 22-year-old right-winger, who was officially promoted to Sevilla’s first team this summer, has made an impressive start to the season. He has been involved in each of their first four league outings and has also bagged a goal.
He has shown a lot of promise in all aspects of his game and will be eager to further strengthen his case for a regular starting spot. Having scored in their defeat to Atletico, Sierra will be eager to find the back of the net and help his team get back to winning ways.
Sevilla will have the advantage of playing at home, and their stronger start to the season should give them the upper hand. However, their recent defensive record is a concern, while Valencia have managed to score in each of their last five visits to the Sanchez Pizjuan. The visitors are likely to make things difficult despite their poor run of form.
Valencia’s lack of attacking consistency could ultimately cost them, especially against a Sevilla side that have enough quality to create chances in the final third. The hosts should be able to make the most of their opportunities and secure all three points, although they could concede once again. The Hard Tackle predicts a hard-fought 2-1 win for the home team.
