Sevilla FC vs Real Madrid
La Liga defending champions Real Madrid are hopeful for something positive as they take a visit at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium this Saturday night.
They currently sit at the fourth spot of the table with 17 points and they have yet to win in a La Liga fixture in more than a month now.
Sitting behind them are Sevilla, who have found their rhythm after a bad start of the season, and they have 16 points good for the fifth spot.
Julen Lopetegui’s men have booked their ticket to the next round of the ongoing Champions League recently and momentum is on their side, while the same can’t be said for Zinedine Zidane’s group.
Good La Liga 2020 results need to come in fast for Los Blancos as their bid for a title repeat is dwindling by the day.
So who will emerge victorious in this crucial match? Check out this match preview courtesy of SBOTOP.
Talking Points
Sevilla’s balancing act
A big week beckons Sevilla as they will face two topnotch teams both in the Champions League and in La Liga.
Although they’ve already secured their ticket to the Final 16 with a victory over Krasnodar last Wednesday, a top spot remains up for grabs and they will lock horns against Chelsea tomorrow night.
Then a few days later, they will get to host Real Madrid in a mouthwatering battle as they try to move up in the standings.
With last season’s standout in Lucas Ocampos struggling to find the back of the net, Sevilla have turned to Youssef En-Nesyri as he has delivered time and time again.
Sevilla manager Julen Lopetegui coaching from the touchline during their Champions League match against Krasnodar
The Moroccan striker scored the marginal goal in a tight match against Huesca, pushing his account to six so far this term.
Besides En-Nesyri, Julen Lopetegui have a wealth of options that can spell doom for their opponents.
Munir El Haddadi, Luuk de Jong, Ivan Rakitic comprise a lethal attacking front while their defence will get a major boost upon the return of full-back Jesus Navas.
Luuk de Jong and Lucas Ocampos are both expected to take a day off against Chelsea, which should give them fresh legs for this weekend’s match.
Real Madrid’s problems continue to pile up
The pressure is mounting over at the Bernabeu as Real Madrid have failed to deliver.
Their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League Final 16 are now in doubt after losing once again to Shakhtar Donetsk in disappointing fashion.
Meanwhile in La Liga, Real Madrid look far from their title-contending form as they are only fourth in the updated standings. They are coming off of an upset loss against Alaves.
With their poor run of results, many fans want Zinedine Zidane’s head on the platter as they are doubtful of his capability of bringing this top-heavy team to the promise land anew.
However, the Frenchman continues to ignore the critics, saying that he will not give up his head coaching post.
“I am not going to resign – not at all,” said Zidane after Tuesday’s defeat against Shakhtar Donetsk.
“I believe in the players and of course I have strength. There is no choice but to work and continue so that the good results return,” he added.
Injuries have played a part in their losing skid as Eden Hazard, Federico Valverde, Sergio Ramos, Karim Benzema, Dani Carvajal, and Alvaro Odriozola have missed time.
Defence is a huge concern for Los Blancos as they’ve conceded nine goals in their last five matches, and Sevilla are well aware to try and capitalise on this.
History
Sevilla and Real Madrid have faced each other so many times, with the latter owning the advantage in the overall head-to-heads.
Los Blancos are on a three-game winning streak over the hosts for this past year alone, with an aggregate scoreline of 5-1.
Betting Tip
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Sevilla vs Real Madrid | Real Madrid Asian Handicap 0.00 @ 1.91 |
| December 05, 23:15 (GMT+8) |
Los Blancos are backed to win by the La Liga 2020 odds via a small margin as they were priced at 2.53, while the hosts are placed at 2.67 and a draw is at 3.35 in the 1×2 market.
These two sides are very much capable of pouring in the goals, so you may fancy placing bets on either Over 2.50 @ 2.11 or Total Goal 2-3 @ 1.96.
One can argue that this is a make-or-break period for Real Madrid, and if they will make a statement, the time is now.
With Zinedine Zidane currently in the hot seat, Los Blancos would need to pull out all the stops in order to bounce back at this point of the season.
I look for them to respond with a big sense of urgency in this upcoming match, although Sevilla will give the defending champions all they can handle.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
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 = €20 (Highly confident) |
= €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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The post La Liga: Real Madrid Search for Answers in Trip to Andalusia appeared first on SBOTOP.
