Sevilla - Liverpool: 'Which cat bites which mouse'?

(Baonghean.vn) - Coach Klopp and his team will have a fierce battle with Sevilla at 2:45 a.m. on November 22 (Hanoi time) in the 5th round of the 2017/2018 Champions League group stage.

Fire at Sanchez Pizjuan

According to the Group A situation before the 5th round, Liverpool has 8 points and is temporarily leading, followed by Sevilla (7 points), Spartak Moscow (5 points), Maribor (1 point). Thus, if they just overcome Sevilla in this confrontation, coach Klopp and his team will certainly be in the knockout round.

On the contrary, if they lose or at least draw at Sanchez Pizjuan, the risk of the Port City team having to play in the Europa League is not small, because in the last round Liverpool will have to face direct opponent Spartak Moscow.

With what has happened, the possibility of the Russian team winning 3 points against Maribor is quite high. At that time, Spartak Moscow will have 8 points. In case Liverpool cannot overcome the home team Sevilla, the number of points of the "Red Brigade" will only be 8 (lost) or 9 (draw).

Thus, the coach and his team will fall into a dangerous situation when they have to fight to the death with Spartak Moscow in the 6th round. Obviously, that is extremely dangerous. The best way for Liverpool at this time is to try to defeat Sevilla right in Spain.

The ball fight between the two teams in the first leg (2 - 2). Photo: Internet

Although they have less points than Liverpool, the home team Sanchez Pizjuan is much more comfortable. Just need to defeat the visitors from England, Sevilla will have a ticket to the next round without having to care about the result of the match between Liverpool and Spartak Moscow taking place in the final round.

Even if they lose or draw with Liverpool, Sevilla still have the right to decide. In the next round, coach Berizzo and his team will only have to play away at the weakest team in the group, Maribor - it is unlikely that the Andalusian team will miss the opportunity to win all 3 points.

Thus, entering this match, Sevilla has more psychological comfort than the guests from the "foggy land". However, that does not mean that the battle taking place at Sanchez Pizjuan stadium lacks fierceness and appeal.

Playing at home, coach Berizzo and his players will not want to disappoint their fans. Winning is the ultimate task for the Sevilla players. On the other side of the front line, the army led by coach Klopp also marched to Spain with the goal of nothing other than winning.

Equally matched

In terms of strength and form recently, there has been almost no significant difference between Sevilla and Liverpool. In the last 5 matches in all competitions, Sevilla's record is 4 wins, 1 loss; Liverpool also has similar results (4 wins, 1 loss).

Another coincidence is that both teams are currently in 5th place in La Liga and Premier League. The 2-2 draw in the first leg at Anfield in September showed the balance between the two teams.

Rookie Mohamed Salah is shining in Liverpool's shirt. Photo: Internet

Currently, in the hands of coach Klopp is a strong team with quality faces such as Mane, Coutinho, Salah, Firmino... In recent matches, Liverpool is showing a strong revival. Since the 1-4 defeat at Tottenham, The Kop has won 4 matches in a row.

It has been a long time since we have seen the Anfield team play so consistently. Beating Liverpool at this time is not easy for any team, not just Sevilla.

That does not mean that coach Berizzo and his team have no chance of winning the upcoming match. In addition to the home field advantage, Sevilla also has a fairly balanced squad on all lines. Names such as Sergio Rico, Lenglet, N'Zonzi, Banega, Nolito, Pizarro, Luis Muriel... are also star players. In addition, Sevilla has a better head-to-head record than Liverpool.

According to statistics in the last 2 meetings, the Andalusian team won 1 match and drew 1 match. Before the 2-2 draw in the first leg, Sevilla beat Liverpool in the 2015/2016 Europa League final with a score of 3-1.

Therefore, in the upcoming clash, the chances of winning are divided equally between both teams. Whichever side successfully exploits its advantages will have a greater chance of winning in the end. It seems that it is not known "which cat will bite which mouse"?

Thanh Hung