After a disappointing outcome against Newcastle United earlier this week, Barcelona is eager to get back to winning ways as they prepare to face Sevilla this weekend.
The Catalans need a victory to maintain their four-point lead at the top of the table, while Sevilla is fighting to avoid relegation and aims to climb closer to a respectable mid-table position.
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In a pre-match briefing, Sevilla coach Matias Almeyda shared insights on how his team intends to prepare for the upcoming encounter with Barcelona.
What Almeyda said ahead of the Barcelona match
Almeyda emphasized the importance of physical preparation for this matchup, particularly with Barcelona coming off a demanding schedule that may lead Hansi Flick to implement changes.
Despite this, he commended Barcelona’s fitness levels and cautioned that Sevilla may still face significant challenges.
“Barcelona, even when fatigued, always performs at an exceptional level from any standpoint. This match will be different from our home game. We’ll aim to replicate some of our strategies, but we understand that it’s been 23 and a half years since we won there. That’s a long time.”
“Some players haven’t experienced this before. We’re set to face the best team in La Liga and one of the best in Europe,” he stated.
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As Almeyda noted, Sevilla has not won at Camp Nou in over 23 long years.
Matias Almeyda is determined to secure a win against Barcelona. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)
When asked about the possibility of breaking the losing streak this weekend, Almeyda replied, “There’s always enthusiasm. We’ll attempt to be the ones to win after such a long time, but it’s a challenging task.”
“They’re an opponent that continues to grow stronger with each match. I believe they’ve refined their strengths even further,” he added.
Almeyda also commented on Lamine Yamal, who has emerged as one of Barcelona’s standout players with an impressive scoring streak.
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“Today, he is among the best in the world; he is young and improving daily. For me, he is the best player in the world right now. It’s a joy to watch him play, but he’s not their only talent. They have more strength in midfield and on the bench,” he said.
Regarding the prospect of a perfect night for Sevilla against Barcelona, Almeyda expressed that everything must align perfectly for that to happen.
“We need to execute flawlessly with what we have and see if it’s sufficient. Barcelona has won every match there.”
“If two weeks ago, people were saying they drew a derby against the worst team in history, how did the narrative shift so quickly to suggest we can win in Barcelona? The reality is that Sevilla is fighting to stay in the league,” he concluded.
Source: AS