Sevilla look to upset Bayern in the Champions League Quarter-finals
Sevilla will face-up against the German giants Bayern Munich in a sure-to-be-thrilling Champions League quarter-finals. Can the underdogs manage to qualify for the semi-finals?
Form
Sevilla have had a decent start to La Liga, currently sitting in 6th place only 2 points behind 5th place Villarreal. They picked up a shocking away win against Manchester United in the quarter-finals and they also beat Athletic Bilbao 2-0 helping them keep their distance from 7th place Girona. However, they’ve also had their fair share of stumbles too, losing 2-1 to Leganes in a hard-fought battle and lost to Valencia earlier this month.
Bayern Munich has been in excellent form this season. They lead the Bundesliga by 17 points and they are in the semi-finals of the DFB Pokal. They also demolished Borussia Dortmund 6-0 last night. Although, Bayern did pick up a heavy defeat last week against RB Leipzig. However, before that match, the German Giants had been unbeaten in all competitions since late December last year.
Team News
Suspensions
Sevilla’s top scorer Pablo Sarabia recieved a red card last week but the suspension is only for La Liga so he is likely to feature. Both of Sevilla’s starting full-backs have Champions League suspensions which could be a big blow for their defence. Central-midfielder Ever Banega also got a Champions League suspension which will surely weaken their attack.
Injuries
Two of Sevilla’s defenders are injured. Sébastien Corchia has been out for a while with a groin injury, and Daniel Carriço has injured his hamstring. Ex-Manchester City winger Jesús Navas also looks to miss the match due to muscular problems.
Germany and Bayern Munich star Manuel Neuer is still out due to a metatarsal fracture but is looking to return in time for the second leg. French wonder kid Kingsley Coman is injured with a syndesmotic ligament tear but is also set to return before the second leg. Arturo Vidal will most likely miss the match too, as he has been having thigh problems lately.
Projected Lineups
Sevilla FC starting XI: Sergio Rico, Sergio Escudero, Simon Kjær, Clément Lenglet, Gabriel Mercado, Steven Nzonzi, Johannes Geis, Joaquin Correa, Franco Vázquez, Pablo Sarabia and Luis Muriel
FC Bayern Munich starting XI: Sven Ulreich, David Alaba, Mats Hummels, Jerome Boateng, Joshua Kimmich, Thiago Alcântara, Javi MartÃnez, Sebastian Rudy, Franck Ribéry, Thomas Müller and Robert Lewandowski
Prediction
Extratime Talk writers have predicted a 2-0 win for Bayern in the first leg. Even though Sevilla have been doing well lately, Bayern Munich’s attack should be strong enough to conquer Sevilla.
Image used: Embed from Getty Images