Sevilla - Barcelona: Saturday, 4pm EST

By: Isaiah | February 8th, 2008

Well, folks, it’s that time of the week again, when I roll out the fabulous and 100% correct preview of things to come. Why even bother watching the game, when you can just read this preview and know exactly what’s coming? I mean, really, there’s not even any need to stream this blog, no downloads required; you can just access it the old-fashioned way (carrier pigeon?). After all, there’s the starting lineup to consider, which I never get wrong. Not once. Not a single time. I mean, except, you know, for the exact opposite.

Still, it’s a big week and thus a big preview. While Madrid takes on lowly Valladolid at home, we travel to Sevilla. Unfortunately for us, we travel a bit light. Anyone who has been asking for Rijkaard to expirement with lineup and/or tactical changes need look no farther than tomorrow’s game as the tema is missing a massive part of its squad. Jorquera, Zambrotta, Puyol, Sylvinho, Toure, Deco, Ezquerro, Eto’o, and Bojan are all set to miss the game either through injury or African Cup of Nations duty (Eto’o and Toure*).

Bojan missed out on a Spanish national team debut through illness, the same thing that’s keeping him out of this game. Deco picked up an ankle injury and Zambrotta a leg injury while on international duty, but both should be back soon, though I doubt that will stop Laporta from making absurd declarations to the press about compensation from FIFA. Sylvinho also got a leg injury. Puyol, Jorquera, and Ezquerro are all long-term absences, with Puyol potentially returning at the end of this month.

So the squad list looks like this: Valdés, Pinto, Abidal, Oleguer, Thuram, Milito, Márquez, Edmilson, Xavi, Iniesta, Gudjohnsen, Messi, Ronaldinho, Giovani, Espasandín, Víctor Sánchez, Víctor Vázquez.

This leads me to believe that Rijkaard will start the following group: Valdes, Thuram, Milito, Marquez, Abidal, Edmilson, Iniesta, Xavi, Ronaldinho, Henry, Messi. I’m typically wrong about these lineups because Rijkaard has decided and tomorrow will probably be no exception. Oleguer could conceivably/nightmarishly start at right back, meaning that Marquez retains his defensive midfield role. I’m not sure who would be the best right back of those I selected, but this is certainly a case for bringing in Dani Alves (who today claimed in Sport that he’s coocoo for the ~~cocoa puffs~~Barca) or Philip Lahm. Especially if you consider the fact that Zambrotta and Thuram are probably on their respective ways out. SO it is that there’s Racing Santander’s Ezequiel Garay probably headed our way; he’s the next coming of Jesus if you listen to Racing’s chairman, Francisco Pernía. Oddly Jesus only costs like 15million euros…Gudjohnsen could also get a start because of Deco’s absence, replacing Ronaldinho in the starting lineup or perhaps Xavi.

Regardless of who starts, they’re going to be facing Sevilla, which is a pretty tough team in the midst of a decent run of form. They’ve won their last two games, Luis Fabiano is scoring like it’s his job or something, and the African players back in the squad. Ooph. However, neither of those wins has been particularly convincing (both 2-1 victories) and there’s been some murmuring in the crowds about Fabiano’s 90th minute penalty against Osasuna that put it away, though I did not see the match or any replays. Soccernet called it “highly dubious” in their match report, which is about as instructive as me saying that Sevilla were “diaphonously content” with their victory. What? Exactly. I trust Soccernet as much as I trust Fabio Capello to lead an offensive attack. Ziiiing.

We beat Sevilla 2-1 at home in late September via 2 goals from Messi, including a penalty. And only Kanoute’s 90th minute goal gave them something to cheer about, which I’m sure some of the fans did. I didn’t but I was drunk at Nevada Smith’s, a place I’ve only been to once, but which I enjoyed. Except for the standing because there were seats available. Fabiano was, of course, missing for that match and could prove to be the difference in this one. With our makeshift backline, there will be plenty of nervous moments unless Milito and Thuram have their best games of the year.

Let’s break the teams down statistically, because I’m feeling just a bit saucy:

Sevilla’s home record: 8W-0D-3L
Barca’s away record: 3W-5D-2L
Sevilla’s home goals scored - allowed: 28F - 11A
Barca’s away goals scored - allowed: 13F - 9A

Statistically Sevilla should win this game, if season-long patterns merge with recent form. Yet somehow I see this ending in draw, but you never really know. With Deco out, Ronnie could slide into the middle of the pitch more and become the playmaker I’ve always thought he should be. Despite my advice, Rijkaard could also play Ronnie in the middle, flanked by Messi and Henry, which could be a pretty interesting attack, though I’d prefer Henry in the middle and Ronnie out wide. There’s always the chance that Rijkaard will start Gio instead of Ronnie, but with such a depleted lineup, I can’t imagine that he’ll do so. One reader, Kevin, has been promoting the 4-2-4 concept for Eto’o’s return, but that certainly wouldn’t be a brilliant tactic for this game, when several key components of that are gone or out of form. It is conceivable that a 4-2-4 hybrid will appear towards the end of the game with a forward line of Ronnie, Henry, Iniesta, and Messi backed by Guddie and Marquez playing in a mostly defensive position. This doesn’t seem like a smart lineup to me with Dani Alves’ constant runs forward, but hey, I’m just a blogger, so Rijkaard will never listen. I’ll definitely be disecting the 4-2-4 next week in a standalone post.

Barca’s defense is the strongest Sevilla has gone up against this year at home, with only 9 away goals allowed - only 1 in the last 3 league away matches, including a visit to the Mestalla - however, Sevilla has a solid track record at home against the top clubs, including a 2-0 whomping of Real Madrid back in early November. Let me phrase it this way: this game is all kinds of complicated and I’m very much looking forward to it.

*Cameroon is in the final thanks to defeating host nation Ghana 0-1 and Ivory Coast is in the 3rd place game after being beaten 1-4 by Egypt. So both players will return on the same day and should be available for next weekend’s game against Zaragoza and the subsequent game against Valencia in the Copa del Rey, though I have to imagine that neither will play against Zaragoza because they will be well and truly tired.

The game is on TV, of course: GolTV, Saturday 4pmEST. I’ll probably be watching the game from Floyds in Brooklyn in case you’re in the area and feel like coming in for a drink or twelve. I can’t promise you’ll know who I am, but I’ll be rocking the orange away jersey (cause I like it more than the blue one) and muttering to myself a lot. That should narrow it down. Muttering guy wearing the colors. Yeah, it’s attractive.