After their Champions League loss, Zinedine Zidane’s side will look to return to winning ways against the early pacesetters in the Primera Division
Despite their mixed fortunes to begin the 2019-20 campaign, Real Madrid know they can still go top of La Liga when they face off against former manager Julen Lopetegui and Sevilla on Sunday.
Los Blancos got back to winning ways in the Primera Division last week in a close encounter with Levante, but a humiliating loss at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League has increased the pressure on Zinedine Zidane again.
Lopetegui, whose own poor start at Santiago Bernabeu saw him given the chop after a few games at the helm last season, would surely love to gain some payback however – and with his side also poised to take control of the table with a win, he will be just as keen on picking up the three points.
TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch
In the United States (US), the game can be watched live and on-demand with fuboTV (7-day free trial) .
New users can sign up for a free seven-day trial of the live sports streaming service, which can be accessed via iOS, Android, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Apple TV as well as on a web browser.
The match will be available to watch live on Premier Sports 2. It can be streamed via Premier Player.
| UK TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| Premier Sports 2 | Premier Player |
Squads & Team News
| Position | Sevilla squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Vaclik, Bono, Diaz |
| Defenders | Navas, Carlos, Carrico, Reguilon, Kounde, Gomez, Escudero |
| Midfielders | Jordan, Fernando, Banega, F. Vazquez, Gudelj, Pozo |
| Forwards | Torres, De Jong, Ocampos, Gil, Nolito, Lopes, Dabbur, Chicharito, El Haddadi |
Julen Lopetegui is almost certain to include Madrid loanee Sergio Reguilon in his side following his excellent start to the season, with no rules against him being able to face his parent club.
The club are currently blessed with a clean bill of health.
Potential Sevilla starting XI : Vaclik; Navas, Carlos, Carrico, Reguilon; Jordan, Fernando, Banega; Torres, De Jong, Ocampos.
| Position | Real Madrid squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Courtois, Areola, Altube |
| Defenders | Ramos, Varane, Carvajal, Militao, Nacho, Mendy |
| Midfielders | Kroos, Casemiro, Rodriguez, Valverde |
| Forwards | Benzema, Jovic, Hazard, Vinicius, Bale, L. Vazquez |
Zinedine Zidane has not included Marcelo, who continues to recover from a neck injury, meaning that Ferland Mendy is all but confirmed to feature at left-back.
Luka Modric too misses out with a thigh problem.
Potential Real Madrid starting XI : Courtois; Carvajal, Varane, Ramos, Mendy; James, Casemiro, Kroos; Bale, Benzema, Hazard.
Betting & Match Odds
It’s tipped to be a close one with Real Madrid priced at 9/5 to win this match with bet365 . Sevilla can be backed at 29/20, while a draw is on offer at 13/5.
Match Preview
If alarm bells weren’t ringing at Santiago Bernabeu before Real Madrid’s midweek collapse in the Champions League, they surely are now – yet with a win on Sunday at Sevilla, they could still find themselves atop the summit of La Liga.
Last Saturday’s win over Levante, where Karim Benzema’s double helped them stave off a late fightback, lifted them to eight points from their opening four games, but their hefty defeat in Europe against an underpowered Paris Saint-Germain certainly did Zinedine Zidane’s job security no favours.
With Los Blancos having failed to find their old form under the Frenchman upon his return to the club for a second stint in charge, his latest tenure looks to be under threat, with even the fellow poor form of champions Barcelona likely to prove small comfort.
Former manager Jose Mourinho, currently out of work following his exit from Manchester United last year, has been heavily linked with a return to the club, but speaking ahead of his side’s trip to Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium, Zidane has played down any such reports of either his departure or replacement .
“If I read the press, it says I’m gone,” he stated . “I feel strong. I have learned to never back down and to keep working until the very last moment.
“I’m not thinking about leaving. I’m only thinking of winning tomorrow. The difficulties that they speak of on the outside are something we can’t control.
“I made the decision to come back because I liked the look of the new project. Now I am here, I will try. We have to be together to achieve our objectives.”
“It doesn’t bother me to hear about Mourinho; it is what it is. Here, you lose one game and you have to change everything.”
Madrid’s misfortune however has not been shared by Sevilla, who have served as one of the surprise packages of the season in Spain so far.
Having muscled their way to sixth last year, they have been one of the standout sides this campaign, under the guidance of ex-Los Blancos man Julen Lopetegui.
The former Spain national team boss would surely love to get one over his former club following his exit last season after a similar run of form to the one Zidane is currently enjoying, though speaking ahead of the game, he played down any notions of revenge.
“There is no room for extra motivation when you coach Sevilla, something I can hopefully do for many years,” he said.
“There are three points at stake and that is enough motivation, even if we know the impact of facing Real Madrid.
“I always have a very good memory of all the clubs where I have been, as I stay with the positive.
“I try to be responsible and ambitious, and [Sunday] will be no exception. The central characters are the players, not the coaches.”
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