Sevilla vs Real Madrid

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Real Madrid is aiming for their fifth consecutive victory in all competitions as they return to La Liga action with a visit to Sevilla on Saturday evening. Currently leading the league table with 24 points from their first nine matches in the 2023-24 season, they face Sevilla, who are currently in 14th place with just eight points from their eight games.

This weekend, Sevilla introduces a new face in the dugout, as Diego Alonso has been confirmed as the team's new head coach with a contract that runs until the end of the season. The 48-year-old replaces Jose Luis Mendilibar, who was relieved of his duties earlier this month, despite leading the team to Europa League success in the previous season.

Sevilla's performance in the 2023-24 La Liga campaign has been lackluster, with only eight points from eight matches, resulting in their 14th position in the league. However, they have remained unbeaten in their Champions League group, drawing their first two matches against Lens and PSV Eindhoven.

In their most recent league game before the international break, the Europa League holders played to a 2-2 draw with Rayo Vallecano, with Youssef En-Nesyri scoring the equalizer in the 96th minute of the match at Estadio Ramon.

According to the current standings, Real Madrid has been the top-performing team in La Liga this season. They've won eight out of nine matches, amassing 24 points and securing the top spot in the league. They're ahead of second-placed Girona by two points and Barcelona, who is in third place, by three points.

After a disappointing 3-1 loss to Atletico Madrid on September 24, Carlo Ancelotti's team responded impressively with four consecutive wins, three of which were in La Liga. In their last three league matches against Las Palmas, Girona, and Osasuna, Real Madrid scored nine goals and didn't concede any. They also won 3-2 against Napoli in the Champions League earlier in the month, bringing them to six points in Group C.

Jude Bellingham has been the standout performer this season, with 10 goals and three assists in 10 appearances across all competitions. He aims to add to his eight goals and two assists in La Liga this season.

Looking ahead, Real Madrid will face Braga in the Champions League in Portugal next week, followed by the highly anticipated El Clasico against Barcelona on October 28. However, their immediate focus is on their upcoming match against Sevilla, as they aim for a fifth consecutive La Liga victory over Los Nervionenses.

Sevilla will be missing Marko Dmitrovic, Mariano Diaz, Erik Lamela, and Alfonso Pastor due to fitness issues. While defensive players Marcao and Tanguy Nianzou have returned from injury, it's uncertain if they will start on Saturday night. Sevilla will also assess the fitness of Fernando, who was substituted in the first half during the match against Rayo before the international break, potentially leading to Ivan Rakitic's inclusion in the midfield.

The challenge of facing league-leader Real Madrid awaits Sevilla's new manager. The hosts are currently 14th in the standings, just two points above the bottom three, while the visitors are in first place with a two-point lead going into this encounter at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán stadium on Saturday. Before the international break, Sevilla and Rayo Vallecano played to a 2-2 draw. Only one defeat had occurred in their previous seven competitive games. They have won two and drawn four games during this run. After losing their first three games in a row, they have improved their league record, dropping just one of their subsequent five. They've only lost one game while winning two and drawing two throughout their run.

The most challenging opponent he will likely face in his debut game is Real Madrid. With a 4-0 victory over Osasuna, the guests entered the break with four consecutive competitive victories, including three straight. Madrid has won eight of its nine league games, with their lone loss coming against Atletico Madrid, a local rival. With 20 more goals than any other team in the competition save Barcelona, the visitors continue to be one of the division's top scorers. Madrid's defensive performance, which saw them allow only six goals all season, retains them at the top. Even though they lost on the road, that includes three shutouts in five away league games.

Sevilla had a challenging season last year, initially struggling in a relegation battle. However, they managed to improve their position, even defeating Manchester United and Juventus to claim the UEFA Europa League title. Unfortunately, this season, under Jose Luis Mendilibar, they started poorly and seemed headed for another relegation fight until his dismissal just before the October international break.

Diego Alonso, a former Uruguay coach new to European management, has taken over. Their recent 2-2 draw with Rayo Vallecano means they've only won two of their first 11 matches in the 2023/24 season across all competitions.

In contrast, Real Madrid faced a summer filled with uncertainty, losing their captain Karim Benzema to the Saudi Pro League, dealing with rumors of manager Carlo Ancelotti's departure, and consistent speculation about Kylian Mbappe's potential signing. However, this off-field turmoil hasn't affected their on-field performance significantly. Their latest star player, Jude Bellingham, has been outstanding, scoring ten goals in ten matches, including crucial game-winners and assists.

Sevilla, who finished in 12th place in La Liga last season, now faces two critical back-to-back matches at home, first against Real Madrid in the league and then against Arsenal in the Champions League.

En-Nesyri, who has scored five goals in 10 games this season, should get another start at center forward despite competition from Lucas Ocampos, Sergio Ramos, and Jesus Navas.

David Alaba, a center back, is expected to recover from a groin injury and return to Real Madrid training after the international break.

Although this encounter might come just a little too soon, Arda Guler has made tremendous progress in his rehabilitation from a thigh problem and should rejoin Alaba in the back four.

While Andriy Lunin (back), Eder Militao (knee), and Thibaut Courtois (knee) are out for the division leaders, Nacho is still suspended for Los Blancos.

Vinicius Junior and Joselu will continue to play together in the last third of the field, and Toni Kroos will start in the middle of midfield alongside Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni. Eduardo Camavinga may switch back to a defensive position.