After allowing two goals against the relegation-threatened Elche, Barcelona travels to play it round four postponed match on the road at Sevilla on Tuesday. Barcelona will try to finish the year with another win against the second-place club in La Liga. Our sportsbook is offering a great number of props for this midweek clash.
Sevilla: Rock-Solid
Sevilla has set its sights on a top-two finish and if we look at the big picture, they have all the weapons to achieve that objective. They will even try to fight Real Madrid for the title, but we don’t expect them to go all the way and win La Liga.
They are sitting second in the standings with 37 points earned in 17 fixtures and are trailing leaders Real Madrid by six points. They have the best defense in the league with just 12 goals conceded this term. They are unbeaten at home, winning seven of eight games played in front of their fans and scoring scoring 20 goals. They enter this clash as +145 favorites on the three-way moneyline according to the latest soccer odds.
After losing to Real Madrid three weeks ago, they managed three crucial wins in a row, allowing just one goal. They beat Villarreal and Atletico Madrid on home soil and Bilbao on the road. Jules Kounde and Diego Carlos are two beasts at the back, and nobody can pass them.
En-Nesyri, Sevilla’s top scorer last season, is still on the sidelines, although he could make a comeback in this match. Suso, Jesus Navas, Oliver Torres and Eric Lamela are also out of the next game with injuries. Lucas Ocampos is back after being out for 10 days scoring the opening goal in the 2-1 win against Diego Simeone’s Atletico.
Sevilla has collected nine points from the last nine available, but they were outplayed in every single game, which means that they have a defensive approach, and they are deadly on the break. This is exactly what we are waiting for on Tuesday at Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán.
With the two giants, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, out of the title fight, Sevilla could go head-to-head with Real Madrid. They have a game in hand on the leaders and a win here will see them just three points behind Los Blancos.
Barcelona: Mid-Table Team
Barcelona is in reconstruction. They are thinking about the future, about what players to bring in the winter transfer window but also in the summer. Still, the pressure is there because we are talking about Barcelona and the fans don’t like the fact that their team is not challenging Real Madrid for the title. For us, things are simple: Barcelona is a team to fade and go against in our soccer picks and parlays.
Last weekend, they beat Elche 3-2 and they celebrated it like they’ve just won a Clasico against Real Madrid. Let’s not forget that Elche is fighting for survival, and they are tipped to go down in the second division. Barcelona transformed from one of the most experienced teams in the league to a team of teenagers. They are talented and some of them are brilliant but they lack experience, which is an important part in the Spanish top-flight league.
Still, Barcelona ranks top of the league for expected goals and fourth for expected goals against, but if you’re betting online and watching them play week in and week out, you will be able to see why they are trailing the top two teams in the standings by such a consistent margin. The defense looks vulnerable, like an un-oiled machine, and as a unit they don’t look like a completely cohesive team.
Sevilla is a tough team to play against and although Barcelona will probably have the possession, they open up at the back and their poor defensive line will allow at least two goals. We are still fading Barcelona, so we will take a straight home win.
