Before the group showdown: Salzburg opponents Seville under the microscope
A lot has happened at Sevilla FC since the strange first leg at the start of the Champions League. Red Bull Salzburg expects an opponent in the “final” for promotion to the round of 16 who will not only appear differently in terms of personnel than just three months ago.
Second place in “La Liga”: Sevilla FC is playing a very strong season.
imago images / ZUMA Wire
In football, the word “final” is often used as a rhetorical stylistic device in order to ascribe a meaning to a game that it actually does not have at all. On Wednesday evening (9 p.m.), neither Red Bull Salzburg nor FC Sevilla will be awarded a title, but the late evening clash in the arena in Wals-Siezenheim, which is empty due to lockdown, is a kind of final for both teams.
Group stage – Matchday 6
The constellation in the Champions League group G could hardly be closer before the last matchday of the preliminary round. Austria’s series champion is enough for the first promotion to the round of 16 a draw, for the second in the table from Spain this would definitely be too little and would even mean the European Cup as bottom group if Wolfsburg wins against Leader Lille at the same time.
On the other hand, Seville would be in the knockout round of the Champions League with a win in Salzburg and the people of Mozartstadt hope for help from Lille to be able to switch as third at least in the Europa League. A hot party with a thrill is guaranteed even in spite of the freezing temperatures and the ghost game atmosphere.
Sevilla FC: Aching failures and an offensive spirit in top form
Like Salzburg, the guests from Seville are plagued by injury concerns before the group showdown. Captain Jesús Navas, the creative spirits Suso and Erik Lamela and goalgetter Youssef En-Nesyri have been absent for a long time, and left-back Marcos Acuña had to be replaced injured at the dress rehearsal on Saturday in the league against Villarreal (1-0). The Argentine team player does not make the trip to Salzburg either.
The “Bulls” will meet on Wednesday on a different Sevilla-Eleven than in the first leg in Andalusia in mid-September. In terms of personnel anyway, but also in terms of appearance. At 1-1 at Estadio Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán, “Blanquirrojos” let themselves be taken by surprise again and again by the fast Salzburg offensive forces, causing only half of the first three penalties, of which the “cops” shot two. in the meantime, however, coach Julen Lopetegui has long since stabilized his back team. With only eleven goals conceded in 15 games, Sevilla have the best defense in “La Liga”, after eleven of the 21 competitive games so far this season, the result was zero.
The troops from Seville’s centrally located Nervión district are currently only a little offensive. In the last three matches, Lopetegui’s protégés only scored one goal, and in the first round of the cup they even recently had to go into extra time against second division Córdoba. The last time Sevilla scored more than two goals in one game was on October 24 against Levante (5-3), still without a win.
The constant in the attack of the Andalusians is currently called Lucas Ocampos. He scored the gold goals against Villarreal and Córdoba, and the Argentine has scored five times since the end of October. Even if he is currently experiencing pain in his ankle, the Salzburg defensive will pay particular attention to the 27-year-old winger with the unusual number five. “That is definitely my best phase this season”, Ocampos is aware of his current top form.