Sevilla – FC Barcelona: Top spot up for grabs

This Sunday FC Barcelona visit what’s historically been one of the most complicated grounds in Spanish football, the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán. Gerardo Tata Martino's team know that following Atletico Madrid's defeat at Almeria last night, a win would put them back in top spot, currently held by Real Madrid.

Notable absences

Martino will not be able to call on Jordi Alba, Mascherano (both are suspended), Puyol, Neymar Jr, Dos Santos and Oier (injured). Montoya and Bartra are back in the team after they were not included in the squad for the Cup match against Real Sociedad. Cuenca doesn't make the squad.

It’s reasonable to assume that Adriano and Bartra will play in the positions left vacant by the two suspended defenders, while Iniesta could also return to the starting line-up.

Sevilla fighting for a European spots

The team managed by Unai Emery want to end the season in the spots that give access to European play next season; they are currently 7th on 31 points. Sevilla haven’t had the best run of form lately, of their last four matches they’ve lost twice and drawn twice. They are five points off the sixth position in the table after last weekend’s defeat to Malaga.

Unai Emery, who has been in charge of Sevilla since January of 2013, has never defeated FC Barcelona. With Almeria, Valencia, Spartak Moscow, and Sevilla, Emery has lost of 11 and tied 5 of his matches against the Blaugrana.