90min

Sevilla vs Barcelona Preview: How to Watch on TV, Live Stream, Kick Off Time & Team News

By Grey Whitebloom

Barcelona have won both of their games since La Liga's return earlier in June
Barcelona have won both of their games since La Liga's return earlier in June / LLUIS GENE/Getty Images
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Barcelona face their toughest fixture since the return of Spanish top flight football when they travel to third-placed Sevilla on Friday night.

With nine matches left to play, nothing in La Liga is decided and this encounter will have a sizeable impact on both the title race and competition for those lucrative Champions League places.

Julen Lopetegui will be in charge of Sevilla on Friday but spent three years as Barcelona's second-choice goalkeeper in the 1990s
Julen Lopetegui will be in charge of Sevilla on Friday but spent three years as Barcelona's second-choice goalkeeper in the 1990s / DeFodi Images/Getty Images

After only 14 games in charge, Julen Lopetegui's final match at the helm of Real Madrid was a 5-1 battering at the hands of Barcelona last season - just a few months after being sacked as Spain's national team manager on the eve of their opening game at the 2018 World Cup.

This season, Lopetegui has gone some way to repairing that dismantled reputation by steering Sevilla into prime position for Champions League qualification, although several sides are still vying for those top four spots.

Where to Watch

When Is Kick Off: Friday 19 June
What Time Is Kick Off: 21:00 (BST)
Where Is it Played: Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium
TV Channel/Live Stream: LaLiga TV (UK), beIN SPORTS (US)
Referee: José Luis González González

Team News

Jordi Alba was suspended for Barcelona's previous game against Leganés but is available again
Jordi Alba was suspended for Barcelona's previous game against Leganés but is available again / David Ramos/Getty Images

Following the enforced hiatus Barcelona's fitness woes have eased and other than Ousmane Dembélé, Quique Setién has several, fresh options to choose from having rested the likes of Frenkie de Jong and Arturo Vidal in midweek.

After serving a one game suspension against Leganés, Jordi Alba should make a return to left-back as he looks to carry on his sparkling form following the hiatus - he registered a goal and assist against Mallorca in the first game back.

Sevilla themselves have few injury concerns as the Andalusians come into their toughest remaining fixture with a fully fit squad to call upon.

Predicted Lineups

Sevilla: Vaclik; Navas, Koundé, Carlos, Reguilón; Banega, Fernando, Jordán; Ocampos, L. De Jong, Munir.

Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Roberto, Piqué, Lenglet, Alba; Vidal, Busquets, F. De Jong; Messi, Griezmann, Braithwaite.

Head-to-Head Record

The reverse fixture this season saw Barcelona claim a very flattering 4-0 win despite having two men sent off late on
The reverse fixture this season saw Barcelona claim a very flattering 4-0 win despite having two men sent off late on / Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images

As is the case for most clubs against Barcelona, Sevilla's head-to-head record with the Catalan giants favours the side from the Camp Nou. Out of 151 meetings in La Liga, Barcelona have claimed the spoils 83 times to Sevilla's 36 triumphs, with 32 draws apiece.

Lopetegui's last two meetings with the Catalans as manager have seen him convincingly lose by an aggregate scoreline of 9-1. And they only get worse with Messi set to be in the lineup.

Barcelona's number ten has two goals and two assists from the first two matches after the restart and Sevilla are very familiar with the threat he poses. Messi has scored more goals against Sevilla than any other side in his career, netting 37 in 38 meetings with the Andalusians in all competitions.

With Messi one strike away from the monumental landmark of 700 career goals, you'd be brave to wager that the great man won't hit that target against his favourite opponents on Friday.

'Recent' Form

Prior to the enforced hiatus, Lopetegui's side had endured something of a stuttering start to the new year, winning just one of six games in February as they dropped as low as sixth in the league. But a convincing win against local rivals Real Betis in the Gran Derbi to kick off the restart went some way to instilling confidence in the side.

Lucas Ocampos scored the first La Liga goal after the competition's return from lockdown against Real Betis
Lucas Ocampos scored the first La Liga goal after the competition's return from lockdown against Real Betis / DeFodi Images/Getty Images

Despite losing the clásico in March, Barcelona were able to reclaim top spot before the break thanks to Real Madrid's slip up against Sevilla's city rivals Real Betis. Messi has been his normal sensational self either side of the hiatus even if the team's dependence on their captain can at times be suffocating.

With Atlético Madrid the only other side from the current top six that Barça have left to face after Friday, a win over Sevilla will heap the pressure Real in a tightly-contested title race.

Here's how both sides have fared in the recent, and not so recent, past.

Sevilla

Levante 1-1 Sevilla (15/6)
Sevilla 2-0 Real Betis (11/6)
Atlético Madrid 2-2 Sevilla (7/3)
Sevilla 3-2 Osasuna (1/3)
Sevilla 0-0 CFR Cluj (27/2)

Barcelona

Barcelona 2-0 Leganés (16/6)
Mallorca 0-4 Barcelona (13/6)
Barcelona 1-0 Real Sociedad (7/3)
Real Madrid 2-0 Barcelona (1/3)
Napoli 1-1 Barcelona (25/2)

Prediction

Messi celebrates his goal against Leganés with a celebration inspired by a character from a game he plays with his children
Messi celebrates his goal against Leganés with a celebration inspired by a character from a game he plays with his children / Alex Caparros/Getty Images

A fast start from the home team is certainly on the cards as Sevilla have opened the scoring in 22 of the 29 matches they have played in La Liga this season. However, whether they will be able to hold onto that advantage is another matter altogether.

Barcelona haven't quite clicked under Setién yet, and laboured to their 2-0 win over relegation-bound Leganés on Tuesday, but with Messi in the side and in the form he's displayed, the defending champions have a good chance of taking all three points against most opponents they will face.

Prediction: Sevilla 1-2 Barcelona