Copa del Rey: Round Three for Barca and Sevilla

Barcelona vs Sevilla FC

These two teams are beginning to know each other better than their families! When the players walk out for Wednesday’s big game Copa del Rey: Barcelona vs Sevilla it will be their third meeting in three weeks.

The score is currently 1-1 and the Barcelona vs Sevilla betting odds here at SBOTOP reckon Ronald Koeman’s Blaugrana will win the decider, but that may not be enough, as Sevilla won the first leg of the Copa semi-final 2-0 and that makes them favourites to reach the final at odds of 1.36, while Barcelona are available at 3.08 to overturn the two goal deficit.

You know what? I think this one is on a knife-edge; it is perfectly poised for a fantastic 90 plus minutes at the Camp Nou on Wednesday night.

 

Talking Points

Koeman needs the Copa

The two previous meetings in February had contrasting outcomes. Following Sevilla’s impressive Copa win Barca fought back with a clinical performance in La Liga last Saturday, winning 2-0 thanks to goals from Ousmane Dembele and Lionel Messi.

This is probably Koeman’s best chance of silverware in his first season at the Camp Nou, though it may well be his last if he doesn’t open the trophy cupboard! A 4-1 mauling at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain has given the Blaugrana a mountain to climb in the Champions League Round of 16. And, five points behind Atletico Madrid, Barca are at around 4.50 to win La Liga, so Koeman needs to take his 3.08 chance here.

Barca have won the Copa a record 30 times already, and it they can overturn a two goal deficit they will meet either Levante or Athletic Bilbao in the 2021 final. But they may have to do it without defensive colossus Gerard Pique who is doubtful, as is reserve centre back Ronald Araujo.

 

Sevilla searching for a bounce back

Defeat to the Blaugrana on Saturday ended a six-match winning run for Julen Lopetegui’s Sevilla and they will be keen to exact a speedy revenge and to take their place in the final. Los Sevillanos’ best form and results have come at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium though, and they will face an equally determined Barca at the Camp Nou.

Without their injured talisman, Lucas Ocampos, Sevilla will rely on the excellent Ivan Rakitic and skipper Jesus Navas to put in big performances. Rakitic was on target in the first leg while Jules Kounde also scored a cracker. And Lopetegui may hand a start to two players who came off the bench in Saturday’s defeat, creative midfielder Suso and striker Youssef En-Nesyri.

 

Which de Jong will be on song?

Two namesakes who may play a big part in the outcome of this fascinating clash are Frenkie and Luuk de Jong.

 

Barcelona’s de Jong already has two goals in the tournament and, at 23 years of age, the Dutch midfielder has a big future ahead of him. He has become a mainstay in Koeman’s team and is sure to feature in this big game.

Meanwhile Sevilla’s Luuk de Jong has three goals in the competition and has bagged two goals in his last three games. The 30-year-old Swiss-born striker has not been prolific for Los Sevillanos, scoring at a rate of one in five. But at 6ft 2in he has been used as a target man, and he could be a useful weapon if the commanding Pique doesn’t make it for Barca.

Sevilla’s De Jong may have to settle for a place in the bench though if Lopetegui does bring back both Suso and En-Nesyri

 

History

Over the past three decades or so, Barca have had the upper hand in the head to head Barcelona vs Sevilla results, winning 40 of the 66 meetings with Sevilla, since 1994, while losing just 13 and drawing 13.

In fact, Sevilla have won just two of their last 19 meetings with Barca in all competitions, and the Catalans have not lost at the Camp Nou in this fixture in the last 15 encounters.

There is good news for Sevilla fans though. Their team has won its last five away games, and the defeat on Saturday was only the third for Lopetegui’s men in 22 matches.

 

Betting Tip

	Barcelona vs Sevilla FC	Total Goals 2-3 @ 1.96
	March 4, 04:00 (GMT+8)

The Blaugrana are at 1.51 to win the second leg with Sevilla at 5.03 and the draw is 4.07, and while I suspect Barca will come out on top, I’m not convinced they’ll sweep their visitors side with any ease.

2-0, 1-1 or 2-1, take your pick but I’m hedging it at two or three goals.

A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR () BETS ARE WORTH:
= €20 (Highly confident)	= €10 (CONFIDENT)	= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)

Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.

 

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