Barcelona hoping for more good fortune as Sevilla lie in waiting

WINDHOEK, FEB 20 – La Liga leaders Barcelona will be looking for more good fortune when round 25 is played this coming weekend, especially as they face a challenging clash away to Sevilla. Catch it all on DStv and GOtv where you are guaranteed the best action from the Spanish top flight.

Barcelona’s lead at the top of the log is up to seven points, after securing a narrow 1-0 win at home to Real Valladolid last weekend. Lionel Messi scored the only goal from the penalty spot, taking his Liga tally for the season to 22 goals.

Ernesto Valverde’s team did not put in the most convincing performance at the Camp Nou (though it must be noted that they rested some key players ahead of their UEFA Champions League clash with Olympique Lyon this midweek) and will need to be far better when they head to Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on Saturday evening.

Sevilla have struggled for form of late, coming into this clash on the back of a 3-0 loss away to Villarreal, but the hunger for revenge will burn bright for Pablo Mahcin’s team, as they notably suffered a 6-1 loss at the hands of Barca in the Copa del Rey at the end of last month.

DStv and GOtv viewers will also be keen to see Atletico Madrid in action. Diego Simeone’s side bounced back from their derby defeat against Real Madrid to overcome Rayo Vallecano 1-0 away (with Antoine Griezmann netting the only goal) and reclaim second place on the log.

They are at home to Villarreal – a side scrapping for their La Liga lives and fresh from a confidence-boosting 3-0 win over Sevilla last weekend – so Simeone will need to find a delicate balance in team selection, as the game comes soon after what is sure to be a draining encounter at home to Juventus in the UEFA Champions League.

Real Madrid’s roller-coaster season continued unabated last weekend when they dropped off second place thanks to a shock 2-1 loss at home to Girona (which also saw Sergio Ramos pick up a 25th red card in his career).

Manager Santiago Solari will back his team to win away to Levante at Estadio Ciudad de Valencia on Sunday, though the hosts will be fresh from an impressive 4-1 away win over Celta de Vigo last weekend which featured goals from Jose Luis Morales, Coke (two) and Borja Mayoral.

Other matches for DStv and GOtv viewers to keep an eye out for include Mubarak Wakaso’s Deportivo Alaves looking to push Celta closer to the relegation zone, Getafe can boost their bid for an unlikely top-four finish with a clash at home to Vallecano, and Girona (fresh from their surprise win at the Santiago Bernabeu) will hope for a similarly strong showing at home to Real Sociedad to wrap up the round on Monday night.

Key match stats

Sevilla v Barcelona – Head-to-head, all competitions
Matches played 60
Sevilla wins 12
Barcelona wins 37
Draws 11

Atletico Madrid v Villarreal – Head-to-head, all competitions
Matches played 35
Atletico wins 11
Villarreal wins 15
Draws 9

Levante v Real Madrid – Head-to-head, all competitions
Matches played 23
Levante wins 4
Madrid wins 16
Draws 3

La Liga fixtures, 22-25 February
All times are CAT

Friday 22 February
22:00: Espanyol v Huesca – LIVE on SS7, Max2 & SelGo4

Saturday 23 February
14:00: Getafe v Rayo Vallecano – LIVE on SS7, Max2 & SelGo4
17:15: Sevilla v Barcelona – LIVE on SS7, Max2 & SelGo4
19:30: Deportivo Alaves v Celta de Vigo – LIVE on SS7/SS10, Max2/Max360 & SelGo2
21:45: Athletic Bilbao v Eibar – LIVE on SS7, Max2 & SelGo4

Sunday 24 February
13:00: Leganes v Valencia – LIVE on SS7/SS10, Max360 & SelGo2/SelGo4
17:15: Atletico Madrid v Villarreal – LIVE on SS7 & SelGo4
19:30: Real Valladolid v Real Betis – LIVE on SS7, Max2 & SelGo4
21:45: Levante v Real Madrid – LIVE on SS7 & SelGo4

Monday 25 February
22:00: Girona v Real Sociedad – LIVE on SS7 & SelGo4 – MultiChoice Namibia