Sevilla and Cádiz open the thirty-fourth day of LaLiga Santander on Friday at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán stadium, which will be the team from Seville in the midst of fighting to secure a place in the Champions League and the man from Cadiz for staying out of the relegation places, a situation that makes the points vital for both formations.
The Sevillians, after beating Levante (2-3) in Valencia, are in third place in the standings tied on 63 points with Barcelona, which is second, and with two more than fourth, Atlético de Madrid, teams who, together with the leader, Real Madrid, occupy the four ‘Champions’ places.
Added to this tight classification are Betis, with 57 points, or Real Sociedad, with 55, so everything is yet to be decided in the remaining five days.
Julen Lopetegui’s team returns to their stadium after in the previous appearance, two days ago against Real Madrid, they suffered their first loss in LaLiga at home (2-3) in a game that went to halftime with a 2- 0 favourable.
Now, after alleviating that setback in the Levante field, his goal is to stay in the top four and to consolidate that, and even the possibility of making the jump to second position, he must beat a Cádiz team that in its last outing won precisely at the Camp Nou against Barcelona (0-1).
The Gipuzkoan coach cannot count on players who have long-term injuries, such as the Brazilian midfielder, for the match Ferdinand Reges and the Dutch central Karim Rekikand they are joined by striker Rafa Mir, the latter having to serve a sanction for accumulating warnings.
French striker Anthony also has physical problems martialwho was injured in the match against Real Madrid and who is a safe drop, as the coach acknowledged this Friday in his press appearance.
Lopetegui also referred to the Mexican winger Jesús ‘Tecatito’ Crownwho scored two of the three goals against Levante but who has been absent in some sessions this week, although this Thursday he has already been seen with the group in the training session that took place at the Sánchez-Pizjuán, despite the fact that the sevillista coach said that they will wait until tomorrow to decide on his participation.
The one that has been working for the squad for several weeks is the extreme Suso Fernández after an absence of almost five months due to an ankle injury, so it could be one of the great novelties in the squad.
In this event, the Sevilla line-up should not differ much from last day’s, in which the Moroccan striker Youssef En-Nesyri was already the starter, while the Argentine Erik Lamela could appear from the start on the right side in the place of Tecatito.
Cádiz, for its part, hopes to scratch something positive in the Sánchez-Pizjuán, knowing those who direct Sergio González that the Sevilla fiefdom is a difficult place to score.
Losing against Lopetegui’s men offers him a delicate panorama for the yellow team, which will have to be attentive to the matches of its main rivals in the fight for permanence, Mallorca and Granadasince depending on the other markers that occur on the day, the cadistas could fall back to relegation positions.
Mallorca is sixteenth in the standings with 32 points, one more than Cádiz, which is seventeenth. The first position of relegation (eighteenth) is occupied by Granada, with 30 points.
The meetings of this day for these three teams suppose, in addition to the visit of Cádiz to Seville on Friday, that Granada receives Celta on Sunday and that Mallorca visits Barcelona on the same day.
Sergio González has a significant loss in the midfielder Ruben Alcarazwho is injured due to muscular discomfort and that, since his arrival, the Catalan has been the undisputed starter in the organizer’s position.
After missing the last trip to the Camp Nou due to suspension, he returned to the starting team last matchday at home against Athletic Bilbao (2-3), having to retire injured before the end of the match, so his substitute could be the Madrid Álex Fernández, a footballer who has lost prominence since the arrival of Sergio González and who has been relegated to the substitution.
The return of the striker is likely Lucas Perez to the initial team to the detriment of Honduran Anthony ‘Choco’ Lozano. Pérez has scored goals for two games in a row and it is something to take into account.
Likely lineups
Seville: Bond; Jesus Navas, Koundé, Diego Carlos, Acuña; Joan Jordan, Rakitic; Lamela, ‘Papu’ Gómez, Ocampos; En-Nesyri.
Cadiz: Ledesma; Akapo, Hernandez, Chust, Espino; San Emeterio, Alex Fernandez, Alejo, Idrissi; Lucas Perez, Negredo.
Referee: José María Sánchez Martínez (Murcian Committee).
Stadium: Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan.
Time: 21.00