[ad_1]
Ernesto Valverde’s Barcelona will clash with Sevilla on Saturday night in the Copa del Rey final at the Wanda Metropolitano stadium.
Valverde’s men heads into this clash after their 2-2 draw with Celta Vigo on Tuesday in the La Liga.
The Catalan club have met Sevilla twice this season where both clubs drew 2-2 at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium earlier in March, which followed a 2-1 Barcelona win at the Camp Nou in November of last year.
The La Liga League leaders last won the Copa del Rey in 2010.
Valverde rested a number of key players on Tuesday against Celta, leaving it probable that Pique, Umtiti, Lionel Messi and Alba will all return for the final.
Midfielder, Ivan Rakitic has recovered from a broken finger and he is available for selection, while Busquets, Paulinho and Andres Iniesta will give Valverde plenty of other options in the middle.
Meanwhile, Vincenzo Montella’s Sevilla heads into this clash after their goalless draw with Deportivo La Coruna on Tuesday in the La Liga.
Montella’s men have shown themselves to be more than competent on big stages this season, having eliminated Manchester United from the Champions League before being knocked out from the competition by slender margins at the hands of Bayern Munich.
The Los Rojiblancos have not won a match since beating United. The club’s last La Liga win came at the start of March at home to Athletic Bilbao.
Sevilla have not quite lived up to expectation and are sitting in seventh position in the Spanish topflight league table.
Montella did rest some key players, including Pablo Sarabia and Luis Muriel, ahead of the Saturday’s final.
Ever Banega, who has enjoyed some standout form of late this term, may likely sit in a holding pair alongside Steven N’Zonzi in the midfield.
Sevilla potential starting XI:
Soria, Navas, Mercado, Lenglet, Escudero; Banega, N’Zonzi, Sarabia, Vazquez, Correa, Muriel
Barcelona potential starting XI:
Ter Stegen, Semedo, Pique, Umtiti, Alba, Busquets, Paulinho, Iniesta, Coutinho, Suarez, Messi
The kick off time for the match is 8:30pm.
[ad_2]
Source link
