The coach with the longest tenure in La Liga, Diego Simeone, is set to face one of his predecessors in his current position, Sevilla’s head coach Kike Sanchez Flores. This match comes just four days after the “Indians” twice drew at home with Flores’s previous club, Getafe, playing to a 3-3 draw. Notably, it was the first time in the La Liga season that they dropped points in two consecutive games. Diego Simeone praised his players for their “tremendous efforts,” as their fourth official game in nine days became even more challenging due to defender Stefan Savic receiving a red card in the first half. Fatigue may play a decisive role in this rapid turn of events, but starting this weekend with the best home record in the league, despite a very demanding campaign, benefits the titleholders of the 2020/21 season. Barios, Lemar, Jimenez, and Vitolo are unavailable for today’s game.
Sevilla immediately found success under the guidance of Sanchez Flores, securing a victory over “Granada” with a score of 3-0, marking their first clean sheet against a top-flight team in 16 matches—a period that Sanchez Flores deemed “significant” as he celebrated this outstanding success. However, the three-point lead over the relegation zone brought relief to Los Nervionenses, knowing that a long journey lies ahead. The last two victories in La Liga were against relegation contenders (“Granada” and “Almeria”), and “Los Rojiblancos” may not be in the best form compared to when they suffered a 1-6 defeat during their last visit to the “Wanda Metropolitano” in March. Out for today’s game are Acuna, Bade, Dias, Fernando, Jordan, Lamela, Llorente, Navas, Nyanzou, Niland, and Sou, who is dealing with an Achilles injury.
