Sevilla’s hopes of returning to the Champions League are down to this. A rough stretch in the middle of the season moved Sevilla out of the top four and now they are eight points back of their opponent on Saturday, Valencia. After this game, there are only 10 matches left in La Liga, so if Sevilla doesn’t get a victory, it’s going to be hard for them to make up ground on Valencia. Look for them to press early in order to try to get this crucial win.
Don't miss the Spanish La Liga action from Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium in Sevilla, Spain at 10:15 a.m. ET on Saturday, March 10, 2018. Catch every moment of the match live on BeIN Sports.
La Liga Betting Odds at BookMaker.eu
Valencia +245
Sevilla +106
Draw +263
Over/Under 2.5 and 3
Odds Analysis
It’s a wonder that Sevilla are even within striking distance. Sevilla might be in fifth place, but this club has allowed 40 goals and has a negative goal differential.
They have won four of their last six matches, but Sevilla has some bad losses this year. They were hammered at home by Atletico Madrid a few weeks ago, going down 5-0 before adding two meaningless goals near the death, and were trounced by Eibar too.
As for Valencia, they have played good soccer lately. The only matches they have dropped came to the elite teams in Spain: Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, and Real Madrid.
Key Absences
Sevilla has a lot of question marks entering this game. Many players are considered questionable to play and others will be out for the foreseeable future. Goalkeeper Juan Soriano will be out for a while, as well as defender Borja San Emeterio. Additionally, Lionel Carole and Jesus Navas may or may not play for the home side.
The good news for Sevilla is that Carlos Fernandez is back in action. Fernandez was suspended last week, but will be able to play in this important game.
Valencia has been dealing with some injuries for a while and got some bad news last week too. Forward Santi Mina was injured in the first half of the team’s win over Real Betis on Sunday and has been ruled out until the end of the month with a hamstring injury. Mina had come into his own over the last few months, and not having him will be huge.
In addition to Mina’s injury, Javier Jiminez, Andreas Pereira, and Ezequiel Garay are still recovering from injuries suffered last month.
Player to Watch
Goncalo Guedes has shown a lot of promise this season. With Paris Saint-Germain breaking the bank on other forwards, the talented young winger was available for a loan spell this offseason, and Valencia jumped at the chance to bring him aboard.
He has played exceptionally well for Valencia, performing well past his years. Valencia was a team that didn’t have much offensive presence last year, and was expected to run the attack through Pereira this campaign. However, Guedes took his game to another level following Pereira’s injury and has this team on the cusp of a spot in the Champions League next season.
Whether or not he stays at Valencia or is recalled to PSG is still up in the air, but he has certainly earned his keep in Spain.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
Sevilla has lost an alarmingly number of games this season. They have lost 10 of their 27 games and have just three draws on the year. Additionally, they have not had a great home field advantage.
Go ahead and go with Valencia in this one. The Oranges have been playing very well and don’t have a Champions League match to worry about in a few days. Valencia will beat Sevilla’s porous defense more than once in the win.
Spanish La Liga Odds: Valencia 3, Sevilla 1
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