Prediction: Sevilla vs Barcelona

Verdict: Both teams to score

Best Odds: 5/8

Bookmaker: bet365

Sevilla will have to quickly recover from the heartbreaking defeat to Real Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup match as they are set for a two-legged tie with Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup. The Catalans did not exactly impress in pre-season, and they can really use the two competitive fixtures before the start of the La Liga campaign.

Sevilla

Arguably world’s leading transfer guru Monchi and his associates keep showing year after year that football clubs do not need heavy investments to produce great results. Sevilla have now won the Europa League trophy three times in a row, while turning a healthy profit in each of those seasons, and it is quite remarkable how los Rojiblancos keep the results at a very high level in spite of serious changes to the playing squad every summer. This time they have also changed their head coach as Jorge Sampaoli replaced Unai Emery, but the first signs seem to suggest that the Chilean could be every bit as successful as his predecessor. Sevilla have missed the first opportunity to secure a European trophy this term as they were beaten by Real Madrid after extra time, with Sergio Ramos yet again scoring in the dying minutes of regular time to prevent los Rojiblancos from winning in Trondheim. Hiroshi Kiyotake, Luciano Vietto and Franco Vazquez were the three summer recruits that were in the starting line-up against Real Madrid, while Wissam Ben Yedder and Matias Kranevitter could be handed starts vs Barcelona.

Team News

Sergio Rico will continue in goal after David Soria was ruled out for six weeks through a hand fracture, and there are few more problems for Jorge Sampaoli.

Namely, Daniel Carrico, Vicente Iborra and Nicolas Pareja are struggling with muscle injuries and they will be assessed on match day.

Barcelona

Barcelona won the domestic double last term, beating Sevilla in the Copa del Rey final, thus earning a chance to fight for the Spanish Super Cup trophy. But, having failed to get past the Champions League quarter-finals, the Catalans decided to further reinforce their playing squad and in turn recruited Andre Gomes, Samuel Umtiti, Lucas Digne and Denis Suarez. Luis Enrique has yet to sign a proper replacement for his MSN trio, and with Neymar representing Brazil at the 2016 Summer Olympics, the Catalans are not exactly in the best shape at the moment. Barcelona suffered an embarrassing 4-0 loss to Liverpool in pre-season at the Wembley Stadium, but that was clearly a one-off result that can only be achieved in friendly games. The Catalans have since shown some improvement to beat Sampdoria in their final warm-up fixture and now aim to see off Sevilla as well. Star forwards Leo Messi and Luis Suarez are slowly raising their form, and having been involved in all three goals against the Italians, they are likely to prove handful for the Sevilla back line.

Team News

Star forward Neymar is away on international duty, and everything suggests that Arda Turan will replace him on the left wing.

Marc-Andre ter Stegen has suffered a knee ligament injury, meaning that Claudio Bravo will start in goal at Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.

Key Factors to Consider

• Barcelona beat Sevilla 5-4 in the 2015 UEFA Super Cup
• Both teams scored in nine of their last ten meetings
• A total of 45 goals were scored in those ten matches
• Sevilla recorded 2-1 win last time they faced Barcelona at home
• Barcelona won last three domestic matches on the road without conceding

Conclusion

After scoring two goals against Real Madrid, Sevilla will be eager to take the game to Barcelona as well, so chances are we will see an entertaining encounter. The Catalans have been showing improvement up front of late, meaning that both teams to score bet should be considered.

Verdict: Both teams to score

Best Odds: 5/8

Bookmaker: bet365