Sevilla will be looking to keep pace with the leaders at the top of La Liga when they travel to strugglers Celta Vigo on Sunday afternoon.
Celta are currently hovering just above the relegation zone, with their 10-season spell in the first tier under threat, whilst Sevilla sit just behind a trio of sides level at the top on 17 points.
Match preview
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Despite trailing the leaders by three points, Sevilla do boast a game in hand over Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Real Sociedad above them.
However, their spare match is against 26-times Spanish champions Barcelona, after the pair requested a cancellation for the fixture due to have been taking place immediately after the September international break.
Whilst they will be targeting a win in that one, attention is solely focused on the challenge of Celta Vigo, with Sevilla looking to bounce back from their defeat to Granada last time out.
Ruben Rochina netted the only goal of the game for Granada, who at the time had been languishing in the relegation zone, and that disappointing result was the source of much frustration for Julen Lopetegui.
Losses against sides they were expected to have beaten cost Sevilla, who finished nine points behind winners Atletico last season, a real shot at their first league title since 1945-46.
Three of their nine defeats during the 2020-21 campaign came against sides in the bottom half of the table and it was those losses that prevented Sevilla from topping the table in May.
Bouncing back in fine fashion this season, the Rojiblancos' title dream has rekindled itself and, given the unpredictability of La Liga at the moment, they have every chance of maintaining a championship charge.
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Prior to the Granada defeat, Sevilla had won four of their six matches, whilst conceding only twice – a 3-1 victory over at the time high-flying Valencia the standout result for the one-time Spanish champions.
A win against Celta is not a formality for Lopetegui's men given their shaky record against Los Celestes, with Sevilla having only won two of their last five meetings.
Despite a less than convincing record over Celta, Sevilla should have no problems finding the back of the net, as they have scored four against the Vigo backline in their previous two meetings.
Given their current predicament, Celta could do without another hiding, as they will be looking to protect their goal difference with what is shaping up to be a cutthroat relegation battle.
Three points above the drop zone, Celta have lost five of their eight La Liga fixtures and have registered only one win from their four home matches.
It is not the ideal fixture to return from a week off for Eduardo Coudet, yet the Vigo manager will be hoping his side build on their surprisingly positive head-to-head record.
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Team News
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Having been a regular in the top flight for a decade, Celta are experiencing an uncharacteristic drop in form, yet Coudet will be hopeful his players have enough to see off their struggles.
The Argentine-born manager will be without fellow South American Renato Tapia in coming weeks, who will miss the Sevilla match with a tight calf.
Similarly, Brais Mendez – who has featured in each of Celta's league matches this season – is expected to be absent until late October after suffering a minor ankle injury.
Other than that, Coudet will be able to take his pick of Vigo players and should turn to dynamic duo Iago Aspas and Santi Mina, who have already contributed eight La Liga goals this season.
Much like their opponents, Lopetegui's men will boast near to a full squad for the visit North, with Youssef En-Nesyri the only expected absentee for Sevilla.
The 24-year-old forward has netted three times this season, yet could miss a number of weeks due to a hamstring injury sustained before the international break.
Diego Carlos, who was sent off late on against Granada, will be out through suspension, with the likes of Erik Lamela, Ivan Rakitic and Jules Kounde all likely to start.
Celta Vigo possible starting lineup:
Dituro; Mallo, Araujo, Murillo, Galan; Yokuslu, Nolito, Cervi, Beltran; Aspas, Mina
Sevilla possible starting lineup:
Bono; Montiel, Kounde, Rekik, Acuna; Fernando, Jordan, Rakitic; Lamela, Mir, Suso
We say: Celta Vigo 0-2 Sevilla
Sevilla have been in irresistible form for the most part of this season and despite a slight blip pre-international break, expect the side from the South of Spain to shine in Vigo.
This match will not define Celta's season, yet they will be hoping to avoid a hiding, whilst protecting their goal difference.
Top tip
Amos Murphy
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Sevilla win with a probability of 45.63%. A win for Celta Vigo had a probability of 27.4% and a draw had a probability of 27%.
The most likely scoreline for a Sevilla win was 0-1 with a probability of 12.5%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 1-2 (8.87%) and 0-2 (8.73%). The likeliest Celta Vigo win was 1-0 (9.11%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (12.71%). The actual scoreline of 0-1 was predicted with a 12.5% likelihood. Our data analysis correctly predicted a 0-1 win for Sevilla in this match.
