The 2023/24 season comes to a close on Sunday at 9pm CEST with FC Barcelona playing away to Sevilla in a game that will have no bearing whatsoever on the final positions, with Barça certain to finish second in the table and the home side well out of the hunt for European places.
However, Barça would clearly like to end the campaign on a positive note at the Estadio Sánchez Pizjuán, especially as this will be the very last game for Xavi Hernandez as coach after it was announced on Friday that he will not be continuing in the job next season.
Hoping for the best end possible
"These have been difficult days" said the coach at his pre-game conference. "But I am happy and proud that we have all done a good job. We gave everything we had. Now we want to end this the best way possible. I am looking forward to enjoying what will be my last game as Barça manager.".
Quique Sánchez Flores leaving too
It's a double day of goodbyes, because Sevilla manager Quique Sánchez Flores, who took over as manager last December, is also packing his bags after the final whistle blows on Sunday. The third coach that the Andalusians have had this season, when he took over Sevilla were in desperate trouble and relegation was a very real possibility. His arrival didn't have much impact at first but from February onwards the results finally started to arrive and in the end first division survival was achieved fairly comfortably.
However, now that they're safe, the last three games have brought three straight defeats against Villarreal, Cádiz and Athletic Club.
Team news
De Jong, Balde and Gavi are still on the road to recovery from injury, with Marcos Alonso also missing out. Xavi has opted to take the following squad with him to Seville: Ter Stegen, João Cancelo, R. Araujo, I. Martinez, Ferran, Pedri, Lewandowski, Raphinha, Iñaki Peña, João Félix, Christensen, Fermín, Romeu, Vitor Roque, S. Roberto, Gündoğan, Kounde, Lamine Yamal, Kochen, Cubarsí and H. Fort.
Sevilla are missing all of Acuña, Erik Lamela, Isaac Romero, Jesús Navas, Óliver Torres and Sow for this one, while there are also fitness doubts concerning Suso.
Head to head
It is several years since Barça last lost to Sevilla in La Liga, neither home nor away. The unbeaten run goes all the way back to 2015, when the side then coached by Luis Enrique was beaten 2-1 away.
Since then, Barça have amassed 12 wins and 4 draws, and are currently on a run of four wins without conceding a single goal. Not bad against one of the biggest clubs in the league!
Last season, Barça romped to a 3-0 win at the Sánchez Pijzuán with Raphinha scoring his first league goal and Robert Lewandowski and Eric Garcia claiming the others. And earlier this season at Montjuïc, Barça took the game 1-0 thanks to a Sergio Ramos own goal.