Saturday, 7 May 2011

Preview: Sevilla vs Real Madrid (League)

Sevilla and Real Madrid shields
Sevilla vs Real Madrid

What otherwise would have been a football match announced with great fanfare, now being presented as a meeting confused between the noise of the Classic, the sanctions from UEFA and the April Fair of Seville. General distraction is also explained becuase today two deeply disappointed teams will face: the one has lost Champions title options and the other for not being able to qualify for that tournament (Sevilla is fifth, eight points behind Villarreal).

However, despite the nostalgia, the game is important. If Rea Madrid can not win today (10:00 pm), tomorrow would be enough to Barcelona a win against Espanyol (7:00 pm) to be crowned League champions. If Sevilla does not win, will not undertake its qualification for the next European League, for which Espanyol is also fighting (four points behind Sevilla). All this without mentioning the rivalry between both teams, much hotter when have to play in the Pizjuán Stadium.

Sevilla ailments are known. In the last game Rakitic was injured (fracture of fifth metatarsal of a foot) as Cáceres (crack in a rib). Navas is also unable to play. Kanoute and Perotti are trailing different physical discomfort, although they may be in the starting lineup. The Argentine will be checked today with a definitive test, with Romaric waiting for events.

With regard to the Champions League match, Real Madrid recovers Sergio Ramos and Pepe, but loses Carvalho (send-off against Zaragoza) and Di Maria (accumulation of yellow cards). Mourinho will combine starters and alternates. If Pepe returns to the midfield, Garay will be central defender with Ramos. It seems like Lass will play in the midfield and on the attack zone, the question focuses on the playmaker place, where Kaka and Özil are disputing the position. Higuain and Benzema are not questioned, nor Cristiano.

No team has left the Sanchez Pizjuan with three points in tow over the last seven weeks of La Liga. Only Barcelona and Malaga managed draws, while Levante, Hercules, Sporting, Zaragoza and Villarreal have all returned home defeated. But, the closest antecedents are favorable to Madrid. Sevilla has lost all three games it has played this season against the whites without scoring a single goal. The League match also had controversial. Despite the win (1-0, Di María), Mourinho showed a list of the thirteen mistakes made ​​by the referee (Clos Gómez). That day the coach demanded more support from the club in his crusade. He succeeded.