Champions League Preview: Liverpool Fortunate To Face A Sevilla Side That Remains Unsure Of Its New Identity

Champions League Preview: Liverpool Fortunate To Face A Sevilla Side That Remains Unsure Of Its New Identity
13:41, 12 Sep 2017

Eduardo Berizzo has had a relatively low-key start to his new job at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, but Wednesday night’s match against Liverpool gives Los Nervionenses no choice but to be thrust under the spotlight. Sevilla have taken seven points from nine in the league, as well as narrowly negotiating their way into the Champions League group stage after a hard-fought, two-legged tie versus Istanbul Basaksehir. And yet, it has lacked any kind of convincing edge. 

Liverpool’s fearsome attacking options may well expose the teething problems that have reared their head so far under Berizzo, with the former Celta Vigo boss having the relatively pleasant problem of having an abundance of options in both midfield and attack. Given the burden of both domestic and European competition over the last month, rotations have been regular and heavy, and it has left Sevilla’s first-team plans rather roughly drawn.

Sergio Rico, Sergio Escudero and Clement Lenglet are first-team certainties, with Steven N’Zonzi continuing as a midfield lynchpin. With the Frenchman able to drop deep as more of a half back, it frees up Sevilla’s full backs to push on, with Escudero finding his feet as an exciting and dangerous attacking presence over the last 12 months or so. That is where the guaranteed foundations end.

Ganso, Pablo Sarabia, Michael Krohn-Delhi and Ever Banega have shared the more advanced central-midfield roles, with the responsibility likely to fall to the latter and Sarabia on Wednesday - unless additional ballast is sought in the physical Guido Pizarro. Two positive central midfielders offer plenty of potential combinations and triangles offensively, but most certainly leaves room for Liverpool to do damage in possession. Given the chopping and changing, Sevilla’s passages of play are yet to have a slickness to them, instead their midfield looks a little jumbled and unbalanced. 

Goals from Ganso have ensured that points have been taken, and thus the microscope lifted from Berizzo’s methods for now. Whereas the likes of Getafe and Eibar didn't have the sharp cutting edge to penalise the weaknesses within Los Nervionenses' system, Liverpool certainly do. With time, a cohesion should come, but Sevilla do not have that luxury.

Out wide, Nolito will be unable to feature due to an injury problem, but Los Nervionenses are not short of replacements. Joaquin Correa, Jesus Navas, Pablo Sarabia and Franco Vazquez are all capable of playing out wide, with goalscoring possibilities aplenty across the visitors’ forward line. Wissam Ben Yedder got on the scoresheet at the weekend, with 20-million-euro man Luis Muriel's reputation preceding him.

With Escudero, Mercado or Sebastian Corchia always keen to burst forward on the overlap from full back, it gives those ahead of them the license to tuck inside and give Liverpool’s back four more to keep tabs on. Escudero and Corchia will be confident that they can do some damage if permitted the opportunity to attack Liverpool's lightweight full backs, and that will likely be Sevilla's weak point to pursue.

Given that the season is in its infancy, Berizzo has not discovered his first-choice team. LaLiga is yet to spit out any huge tests, with this Champions League group clash an opportunity for Sevilla’s personnel to stake a claim for a long-term place in their coach’s mind for the big occasions.

Liverpool have had their defensive problems in both the Premier League and Europe, and this is certainly something that the visitors can exploit. But Jurgen Klopp should not fear the thunder of a team that ploughed relentlessly forward on the attack under Jorge Sampaoli last season. Sevilla will likely be a little more ponderous, slightly disjointed and certainly beatable on Merseyside. The bigger test will come in Andalusia.

x
Suggested Searches:
The Sportsman
Manchester United
Liverpool
Manchester City
Premier League
Sportsman HQ
72-76 Cross St
Manchester M2 4JG
We will not ask you to provide any personal information when using The Sportsman website. You may see advertisement banners on the site, and if you choose to visit those websites, you will accept the terms and conditions and privacy policy applicable to those websites. The link below directs you to our Group Privacy Policy, and our Data Protection Officer can be contacted by email at: [email protected]

All original material is Copyright © 2019 by The Sportsman Communications Ltd.
Other material is copyright their respective owners.