Sevilla will aim to build on their recent victory as they welcome Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid to the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium on Sunday evening.
Both Real Madrid and Sevilla come into this fixture on the back of wins and will be eager to carry that momentum into the penultimate round of the campaign. While Carlo Ancelotti will be keen to sign off on a high with just two games remaining in his tenure, the hosts will be looking to salvage some pride from what has largely been a disappointing season by stringing together a strong finish in front of their home support.
The home team are 14th on the points table with just 41 points in their 36 outings. While they are seven points clear of the drop zone, they will be frustrated by how things have panned out for the majority of the 2024/25 season.
Sevilla have only managed 10 wins all season long, but they are heading into this fixture on the back of a 1-0 win over Las Palmas after a stretch of eight games without a win. While the Andalusian outfit will aim to script an upset over Los Blancos, it certainly won’t be that easy for them.
Meanwhile, the visitors did manage to delay Barcelona’s title celebrations with a win over RCD Mallorca, but the race officially ended when the Catalan giants overcame Espanyol on Thursday. With second place finish now certain, Real Madrid have little left to play for in terms of league position, but pride and momentum will still be at stake as they aim to close out the season strongly.
With Carlo Ancelotti set to depart at the end of the campaign, the Italian tactician will be keen to bow out on a positive note. While the 2024/25 season may not have lived up to the lofty expectations, Ancelotti’s influence and success during his tenure cannot be understated, and the players will be motivated to give him the send-off he deserves. The Hard Tackle takes a close look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Sevilla
The home team do have a boost ahead of this fixture as Isaac Romero is back in the mix. But Sevilla might remain without the services of Kike Salas, Tanguy Nianzou, Ruben Vargas and Akor Adams ahead of the visit of Real Madrid.
Sevilla will stick to the 4-2-3-1 formation, where Orjan Nyland should be in goal. The back four should consist of Juanlu Sanchez, Loic Bade, Nemanja Gudelj, and Jose Angel Carmona. Sanchez and Carmona are on the flanks, while Bade should partner Gudelj in the heart of the defence if Salas is not back on time.
Lucien Agoume and Djibril Sow will form the double pivot in midfield. They will look to ensure they do not get overpowered in midfield. In the final third, Suso and Dodi Lukebakio will take charge on the flanks, while Albert Sambi Lokonga could reprise the no. 10 role. Meanwhile, Álvaro García Pascual, who bagged the winner in their last outing, should continue to lead the line for Sevilla against Real Madrid.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Nyland; Juanlu, Bade, Gudelj, Carmona; Agoume, Sow; Suso, Lokonga, Lukebakio; A Garcia
Real Madrid
Aurelien Tchouameni is back available after serving a suspension last time out. But Real Madrid might still be without a handful of first-team stars against Sevilla at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium this weekend.
Brahim Diaz, Andriy Lunin, Lucas Vazquez, Vinicius Junior, and Rodrygo are all major doubts for this fixture, while Antonio Rudiger, Ferland Mendy, David Alaba, Eduardo Camavinga, Eder Militao, and Dani Carvajal are on the sidelines.
The visitors will continue with the 4-4-2 formation, where Thibaut Courtois will be in goal. Federico Valverde and Fran Garcia should be the full-backs. While Tchouameni is back and could slot in at the back, Ancelotti might hand Jacobo Ramon another opportunity alongside Raul Asencio.
Dani Ceballos and Aurelien Tchouameni could be the two central midfielders, with Arda Guler and Jude Bellingham on the flanks. Finally, the high-flying Kylian Mbappe will partner with Endrick.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Courtois; Valverde, Ramon, Asencio, Fran Garcia; Guler, Ceballos, Tchouameni, Bellingham; Mbappe, Endrick
Key Stats
Real Madrid have won 38 of their last 59 encounters against Sevilla across all competitions, while the Andalusian outfit have only managed 16 wins during that period.
Sevilla have failed to get the better of Los Blancos in their last 12 La Liga clashes, with their most recent league win against them coming back in September 2018.
Carlo Ancelotti’s men have found form on the road, winning four of their last five league outings away from home.
The hosts have struggled against Spain’s traditional powerhouses this season, losing all five of their league meetings with Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Atletico Madrid.
Sevilla will be hoping to register back-to-back league victories for the first time since April 2024, having finally ended an eight-match winless run last time out.
Player to Watch
Arda Guler
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Arda Guler has quietly become one of Real Madrid’s standout performers in the final stretch of the season. After a slow start, the Turkish starlet is now getting regular minutes and making them count with composed, intelligent displays well beyond his years.
Beyond his five goals and nine assists in just over 1,600 minutes, it is Guler’s crisp passing, close control, and ability to dictate the tempo that have stood out. With Carlo Ancelotti set to leave Real Madrid, the youngster will be eager to make another strong impression, especially against a side like Sevilla, where his creativity could prove decisive.
Prediction
Sevilla 0-2 Real Madrid
Real Madrid may not have much at stake in terms of league position, but they still boast the quality and depth to see off a struggling Sevilla side. With players like Arda Guler and Kylian Mbappe hitting form Carlo Ancelotti’s men should have enough firepower to break down the hosts, even if several key names remain sidelined through injury.
Sevilla, meanwhile, will take confidence from their narrow win over Las Palmas, but they have shown little consistency throughout the campaign and have struggled against Spain’s top sides. Their leaky backline and lack of cutting edge could prove costly once again.
Expect Real Madrid to dominate possession and create better chances leading them to a comfortable victory. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-0 win for the away team.