Though some top-four contenders still have games in hand over Sevilla, the Andalusian club ended Wednesday in possession of a 12-point gap over fourth-placed Atlético Madrid as they aim to break the Spanish top-flight’s triopoly that has existed since 2012/13!
Sevilla
Despite ultimately dropping two points against Valencia in midweek, Sevilla will remain hopeful of chasing runaway leaders Real Madrid all the way in the La Liga title race this campaign. Though some top-four contenders still have games in hand over Sevilla, the Andalusian club ended Wednesday in possession of a 12-point gap over fourth-placed Atlético Madrid as they aim to break the Spanish top-flight’s triopoly that has existed since 2012/13! Sevilla can also boast a 12-match unbeaten run in home league action, with three of the last six wins in that run seeing them score exactly twice. Topically, each of ‘Los Rojiblancos’ seven La Liga home wins to produce that scenario also saw them score on both sides of the break.
Celta Vigo
Fresh off the back of a 2-0 midweek success over Osasuna, Celta Vigo approach this difficult task with confidence as they eye a surprise European qualification push. The visitors have travelled well since the end of the October international break, winning half of their La Liga away matches in that time, with the most recent of those victories coming in the city of Seville (2-0 v Betis) earlier this month. With Celta taking just one point out of the last 15 available from away H2Hs, their hopes of recording successive top-half finishes for the first time since the mid-2010s will be massively tested here. That said, they’ve scored in each of their last six league trips to this venue which could point towards a potentially high-scoring affair here.
After his winning strike against Getafe on January 9th, Rafa Mir will hope to do as unavailable teammate Youssef En-Nesyri did last year, and score decisively in both of Sevilla’s January La Liga home fixtures. Also emulating the Moroccan’s exploits in those games, Iago Aspas netted a first-half brace during Celta’s most recent away win. Seven of Sevilla’s last eight home league wins have seen them lead at the half-hour mark.