SEVILLA PREVIEW

To open the run of pre-season friendlies in Portugal, first up is Sevilla on Saturday 19th July at the Estadio Algarve. Before the game, here’s some background information about the team we’re facing.

RECENT SEASONS

For what should be an unusual season for a club with recent records of triumph and glory, a bottom-half finish in 24/25 is slowly becoming the norm. Last season resulted in 17th place which shows the steady drop Sevilla is facing since their 22/23 Europa League win. Mustering just four away wins all season, the club attempt to bounce back from a string of unlikely finishes and managed only one win out of their final 11 and were swiftly eliminated from the Copa del Rey in the round of 32 to second division side Almeria. A lack of repetition of their usual love for silverware (especially the Europa League) is enough proof for their decline in form.

THE MANAGER

The side’s current boss is Matias Almeyda, a recent appointment of this just month from AEK Athens. His time in Greece saw moderate success, finishing 1st, 2nd and 4th in his three-season stint in Greece. The question of whether he will restore Sevilla to their former glory will be a huge test for the former Argentina international who actually played for Sevilla back in 96/97. Their horror season is reflected by the double change in managers, beginning the season with Garcia Pimienta who earned notoriety from his former years at youth level with Barcelona. His recent tries at coaching first-team football have not been as great, with his Sevilla sacking coming just 10 months after appointment with a 32% win rate. Then it was Joaquin Caparros who took the wheel following his previous interim spells in 2018 and 2019. Not much was to be done for his two-month reappointment and he won just once in his seven La Liga matches.

THE STADIUM

Normally, you would find Sevilla playing in the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan, a large ground that can hold upwards of 49,000 people. However, for this match in Portugal it will be played at the Estadio Algarve. A smaller scale to that of Sevilla but still nothing to be scoffed at, holding 30,000 and was notably built for the Euro 2004 final, hosting Greece’s triumph over home nation Portugal. Since then, it is now mainly used for cup competitions, other friendlies and currently the Gibraltar national team too.

NOTABLE PLAYERS

Amongst the ranks of Sevilla lies former member of Sunderland Adnan Januzaj, who had a brief spell on Wearside from 2016-17. Failing to make an impact during our relegation campaign, he has since consistently struggled to find form across Spain and Turkey. Despite that, he stuck around at Real Sociedad for 5 years and played 168 games whilst scoring 22 goals. Interestingly, former Manchester City, Leicester and Middlesborough striker Kelechi Ihenacho also plays here. Having joined following the Championship title win in 2024 he has also still yet to find any real form. With just three goals in eleven appearances for Sevilla, he was swiftly loaned out to Middlesborough in the January window which leveraged equal amounts of success with a single goal in 15 matches. However, the standout player here is undisputedly the Belgian breakout star Dodi Lukebakio. A diamond in the rough for the club last season, he is a cut above the rest in terms of goals, dribbles and xG. He was the club’s top scorer last season with 11, whilst 2nd place was only four goals! The Spanish side seemed almost too reliant on him last season and must protect him heavily in upcoming windows.

SUMMARY AND PREDICTION

Despite their recent poor seasons, Sevilla is still a club rich in history and success. Winning the Europa League five times in the last decade and seven in total, the club used to be one of smart transfer business under former sporting director Monchi. Since his departure for Aston Villa though, they have unfortunately failed to keep up with clubs nearby, evident when their repeated top four finishes were put to a halt following a 12th place finish in 2023. Originally brushed away as a one-off moment, fans were quick to point out that this would not be the case after finishing 14th in 2024. Sevilla is a very unfortunate story and show us just how fast football moves and how quickly clubs must adapt. Their loss to Birmingham early in pre-season shows signs of further worry for them, which is why I predict a 2-1 win for Sunderland with a mixture of academy and first team players featuring.