Sevilla play host to relegation-threatened Granada in Sunday's La Liga gameweek 34 clash at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium.
Quique Sanchez Flores's men are keen to end the campaign positively, having avoided defeat in the last four, but they face a motivated side that could lose their top-flight status if this weekend's results go against them.
Match preview
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Sevilla were anticipated to end this season in the bottom half, but a late-season resurgence could cause a rise in the standings.
Los Nervionenses had claimed one win in five (two defeats) before a 1-0 triumph over Getafe in late March led to a four-game unbeaten turnaround, witnessing three victories on the trot and a hard-fought draw in last week's Seville derby with Real Betis (1-1).
Sanchez Flores's team have kept two clean sheets in those games, matching their tally of shutouts from the previous 12 league games, and they hope to prevent this weekend's opponents from scoring on Sunday.
With 38 points accrued from 33 matches, the Andalusians are five shy of 10th-placed Getafe and seven adrift of Villarreal in ninth, making a top-half finish achievable for Rojiblancos.
Despite a pitiful home record for much of 2023-24, three wins from their last four (one loss) points to a late-season improvement in Seville, giving the hosts the edge against the second-bottom visitors.
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Sevilla's aim to notch a sixth win at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan faces a desperate Granada side keen to avoid relegation from the top division.
Jose Ramon Sandoval is the second-bottom club's third head coach this term, with the struggling side jettisoning Paco Lopez and Alexander Medina, seeking the necessary turnaround to beat the drop.
Despite the new man recently claiming seven points from an available nine following marginal defeats to Cadiz and Valencia, the Andalusians are 19th on 21 points, 10 adrift of Celta in 17th.
With only five games remaining, and a meeting with Celta on the penultimate gameweek of 23-24, the Nasrids must claim wins leading up to round 37 and hope the fourth-bottom club stay winless in that period.
That seems unrealistic for the Vigo-based side with two wins in their recent five league games, pointing to eventual relegation for Granada, whose fate could be sealed in Seville.
A loss for Sandoval's team this weekend and victories for 16th-placed Real Mallorca (32 points) and Celta (31) against Atletico Madrid and Villarreal, respectively, will see the second-bottom club return to the Segunda Division.
Team News
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Suso is suspended for Sevilla this weekend, having picked up a booking in the Seville derby at Betis. Djibril Sow (finger), Adria Pedrosa (muscle), Nemanja Gudelj (knee), Oliver Torres (shoulder) and Isaac Romero (hamstring) are all missing through injury for the hosts.
Youssef En-Nesyri has notched 12 league goals for the home side this term, and the Morocco international seeks to add to that tally this weekend.
Orjan Nyland has made 57 saves for the hosts, ranking among the highest in the Spanish top flight in 23-24.
The Sevilla goalkeeper's counterpart — Augusto Batalla — has made 54 saves despite featuring in four fewer fixtures (19-15), and the Granada shot-stopper hopes to make the difference on Sunday.
Myrto Uzuni (11 goals) trails En-Nesyri by one goal, and he aims to equal the Moroccan in gameweek 34.
Raul Torrente, Antonio Puertas and Oscar Melendo are seemingly touch-and-go for round 34's visit to Sevilla, while Jesus Vallejo is said to be ruled out.
Sevilla possible starting lineup:
Nyland; Navas, Bade, Ramos, Acuna; Lamela, Soumare, Agoume, Ocampos; Lukebakio, En-Nesyri
Granada possible starting lineup:
Batalla; Mendez, Rubio, Miquel, Neva; Pellistri, Alonso, Gumbau, Jozwiak; Boye, Uzuni
We say: Sevilla 2-1 Granada
This weekend is anticipated to end Sandoval's mini-revival at Granada. The away side have won just one of their last 11 top-flight derbies against Andalusian sides, and they travel to Sevilla, where they have been defeated in 18 of their 22 visits (drawing two and winning as many).
Backing Sanchez Flores's men to record a sixth home triumph is the logical expectation.
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