Afghanistan
Angola
Argentina
Asia (AFC)
Asian Games
Australia
Belgium-Netherlands
Brazil
Burkina Faso
Central American & Caribbean Games
Central American Games
Congo DR
Denmark
England
Europe (UEFA)
FYR Macedonia
Finland
Germany
Greece
International Tournaments
Italy
Mediterranean Games
Mexico
National
Nepal
North & Central America (Concacaf)
Palestine
Pan American Games
Panama
Russia
Scandinavia
Serbia And Montenegro
South American Games
Spain
Syria
USA
Venezuela
World (FIFA)
Yemen
Zimbabwe

Preview: Sevilla vs. Valencia - prediction, team news, lineups

sportsmole.co.uk, 25 January 2021, 21:33

2019 Copa del Rey champions Valencia travel to Sevilla on Wednesday evening in the round of 16 as the sides do battle for a place in the final eight of the competition.

The two sides have a combined 13 Copa del Rey trophies and both could see this year as a great opportunity to add another domestic cup to their trophy cabinet after the shock exit of Real Madrid in the last round, and the potential weakness of Barcelona.

Match preview

© Reuters

Sevilla coasted through the first two rounds of the tournament, beating lower league opposition in Ciudad de Lucena and Linares Deportivo 3-0 and 2-0 respectively away from home.

The third round was a closer tie for Julen Lopetegui 's side as they travelled to Segunda Division outfit Leganes, who were relegated from La Liga last season.

Neither side managed to break the deadlock inside 90 minutes and the game went to extra time, when Lucas Ocampos netted the only goal to secure Sevilla's spot in the last 16.

This could be an important game for Sevilla manager Lopetegui, who is aiming for his 50th win in charge of the club.

Since his appointment in 2019, the Spaniard has taken charge of 83 matches, winning 49, drawing 19 and losing just 15. This has resulted in a Europa League trophy and a strong fourth-placed finish in La Liga last season, level on points with third-placed Atletico Madrid.

Their good form under the former Spain and Real Madrid manager has continued into this season, where his side sit in fourth once again, having won 11 of their 19 league games so far and losing just five of these matches.

This has been in no small part down to the effects of Moroccan forward Youssef En-Nesyri, who has netted 12 league goals and sits joint-top of the league's scoring charts with Luis Suarez. This includes a hat-trick in their last fixture with the striker being the only scorer in a 3-0 home win over Cadiz in La Liga, seeing them leapfrog Villarreal in the league table.

Sevilla have already posted a win over Wednesday's opponents this season, defeating Valencia 1-0 away at the Estadio de Mestalla. The game looked set to finish 0-0 until Suso made the breakthrough for the visitors from outside the box in the final 10 minutes.

© Reuters

That was one of eight league defeats suffered by Valencia so far this term and, since the sale of several key players at the beginning of the campaign, they have experienced a dramatic fall down the table from last season's ninth-placed finish, which followed two consecutive years of finishing fourth.

As a result of their poor first half of the season, they currently sit 14th in the La Liga table, just two points above Alaves in the relegation zone, on 20 points from their 20 league games.

Javi Gracia 's side have just one win in their last 11 La Liga fixtures. However, he may have a reason to be optimistic as in all competitions, Valencia have recorded three wins and two draws in their last six games, with their only defeat in this run being a 3-1 loss at the hands of La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid.

Their Copa del Rey campaign got off to a very worrying start in their first-round tie away at fourth-tier side Terrassa. The hosts went 2-0 ahead early in the second half but two goals in the last 10 minutes through Carlos Soler and Yunus Musah took the tie to extra time. Goncalo Guedes then found the net twice to take his side through to the next round with a 4-2 win.

The second round was much more comfortable for Gracia's side as they beat Segunda Division B side Yeclano 4-1 away from home. Another comfortable win then followed as Koba Koindredi and Manu Vallejo fired Valencia to a 2-0 win away at second-tier side Alcorcon, booking a ticket in the round of 16.

The eight-time Copa del Rey champions will be hoping to use these convincing wins as foundations to build on as they take on their toughest cup challenge so far this season as Los Che look to regain the trophy they won back in 2019.

Sevilla Copa del Rey form: WWW

Sevilla form (all competitions): WWLWWW

Valencia Copa del Rey form: WWW

Valencia form (all competitions): DWWWDL

Team News

© Reuters

While no player has more La Liga goals than Youssef En-Nesyri this season, the Moroccan has rarely been called upon in cup action, only appearing in a cameo in the second-round victory over Linares.

So far, Luuk de Jong has started all three Copa del Rey fixtures and is likely to be trusted in this clash too, as Lopetegui has to balance a league game against Eibar three days later.

Sevilla defender Diego Carlos is expected to still be unavailable after a positive COVID-19 test.

Lopetegui also has several players out injured; Tomas Vaclik remains out while Oscar Rodriguez and Sergio Escudero are not expected back until February.

Valencia defender Mouctar Diakhaby was forced off at half time in the 3-1 loss to Atletico Madrid and is expected to miss this clash, while goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen remains out of the squad with a muscle injury.

Defender Cristiano Piccini also returned to the Valencia squad after a loan spell with Atalanta, where he made just one appearance, while they were recently also boosted by the return of Kevin Gameiro who will be hoping for a first start since his return, after two appearances off the bench in their last two games.

Sevilla possible starting lineup:

Bono; Vidal, Gomez, Kounde, Rekik; Fernando, Oliver, Gudelj; Suso, De Jong, Munir

Valencia possible starting lineup:

Domenech; Correia, Guillamon, Mangala, Piccini; Guedes, Racic, Koindredi, Musah; Vallejo, Gameiro

We say: Sevilla 2-1 Valencia

While Valencia may have some real confidence and optimism for one of the first times this season, we feel that the home side may have too much quality and could punish Gracia's men with the attacking quality of Munir El Haddadi and Suso with Luuk de Jong down the middle. Lopetegui could see a real opportunity for a domestic trophy here and won't underestimate their opponents.

Top betting tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting a home win in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.

Top News

14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Locked together at the top of League C Group 1 with two games to play, Sweden and Slovakia will battle it out to take the outright lead when they meet on Saturday evening. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal will reportedly allow out-of-favour defender Jakub Kiwior to leave the club on loan in January. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Wales travel to the Kadir Has Stadium in Kayseri to face Turkey in their penultimate League B Group 4 fixture in the UEFA Nations League on Saturday evening. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona midfielder Pablo Torre has not ruled out the possibility of leaving the club in January, after seeing his game time reduced recently. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Aiming to narrow their gap to the top two in the League One table with a third consecutive victory, Barnsley will visit the Abbey Stadium to take on Cambridge United on Saturday. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Alexander Isak has delivered a fresh update on his future at Newcastle United, amid reported interest from a number of clubs including Arsenal. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Roma have confirmed the appointment of 73-year-old Claudio Ranieri as their new first-team manager until the end of the season. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Newcastle United winger Anthony Gordon has revealed that he was "desperate" to join Chelsea in 2022. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal could rival Manchester City and Liverpool for the signature of Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool are reportedly weighing up whether to make a move for in-form PSV Eindhoven striker Ricardo Pepi. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk As exquisite as Pedro Neto's equaliser was, the Portuguese's 20-yard leveller for Chelsea in Sunday's 1-1 Premier League draw with Arsenal was arguably more to do with the Gunners' uncharacteristic defensive failings. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona have reportedly made a decision over whether they will pursue a move for Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Estevao Willian has revealed that he will continue with his education even after completing a big-money transfer to Chelsea. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City are reportedly going to give Real Sociedad "a long and hard winter" in their pursuit of midfielder Martin Zubimendi. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Embroiled in a fight against relegation to the UEFA Nations League's lowest level, Azerbaijan and Estonia will clash in Qabala on Saturday afternoon. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk England captain Harry Kane has reportedly emerged as a late doubt for Thursday's UEFA Nations League meeting with Greece due to a knock. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong is expected to be given the all-clear for Saturday's all-important UEFA Nations League clash with Hungary in Amsterdam. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Locked together on five points in League A Group 3 of the UEFA Nations League, the Netherlands and Hungary meet on Saturday in a winner-takes-all clash at the Johan Cruyff Arena. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Both vying for promotion to the UEFA Nations League's top tier, Albania and League B Group 1 leaders Czech Republic will lock horns on Saturday evening. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona sporting director Deco has insisted that his club are not currently looking to bring in a replacement for Robert Lewandowski, with the striker in excellent form for the Catalan giants this season. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega will be eyeing a debut for the Germany national team in Saturday's UEFA Nations League clash with Bosnia-Herzegovina in League A Group 3. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona sporting director Deco is confident that the club will be able to sign Pedri to a new long-term contract. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Needing just a point to all but guarantee a first-placed finish in League A Group 3 of the UEFA Nations League, Germany welcome Bosnia-Herzegovina to the Europa-Park Stadion in Freiburg on Saturday. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Christian Eriksen has revealed that he is 'yet to hear anything' from Manchester United over his future. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk As closely contested League B Group 1 nears its conclusion, promotion - and relegation - rivals Georgia and Ukraine will meet in Batumi on Saturday evening. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United are reportedly considering making a move for Dinamo Zagreb midfielder Martin Baturina during the January transfer window. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk With all eyes fixed on the January transfer market, clubs around the UK and Europe are already lining up potential mid-season moves. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk With all eyes fixed on the January transfer market, clubs around the UK and Europe are already lining up potential mid-season moves. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Kazakhstan vs. Austria (Thursday, 3.00pm) Amid a three-way battle for promotion from League B Group 3, Austria aim to improve their prospects with a win on Thursday, when they meet Kazakhstan in the UEFA Nations League. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Athletico Paranaense can temporarily climb out of the Brasileiro Serie A relegation zone with a victory over Atletico Mineiro on Saturday at Arena de Baixada.