TIME TO GET THE FIRST HOME WIN OF THE SEASON

The match

Sevilla FC vs Valencia CF, in MD10 of the LaLiga Santander season. Kick-off at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán is scheduled for 19:00 CEST.

The table

We come into this match in 14th place with nine points, while Valencia lie in eighth place with five more points than us.

Matchday squads

Jorge Sampaoli has named an unchanged 24-man squad for the clash, with Rekik, Fernando and Tecatito all still unavailable. As for the visitors, Gattuso has brought a 23-man squad to Sevilla, with Jaume Doménech and Samu Castillejo missing out through injury, while Hugo Guillamón and Edinson Cavani have been given the all-clear and have travelled. 

Players to watch

While Gattuso looks to build a solid squad at Mestalla, there are players with quality who stand out all over the pitch. Diakhaby and Gayá are key in defence, with Guillamón playing in front of them, while Justin Kluivert and Samuel Lino are dangerous on the flanks with Edinson Cavani leading the line.

Last three home matches against Valencia CF

Sevilla have had the better of Valencia in recent years, winning the last three clashes at home. Last season saw the team win 3-1, with goals from Papu, Montiel and Rafa Mir inside the first 25 minutes. The season before, Valencia visited the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán twice. The league match was a tight affair, with En-Nesyri scoring the only game of the match, but the Copa del Rey Round of 16 match was anything but that, with De Jong scoring twice and Rakitic adding another in a comfortable 3-0 win. 

Press conferences

At his pre-match press conference, Jorge Sampaoli commented that "Valencia are a very aggressive side who are quick in transitions, they have very dedicated players and it'll be tough for us if we don't play well." 

As for Gennaro Gattuso, he believes that his side are "playing against a team with a lot of quality, who have a lot of players with a winning mentality at a stadium that's very tough to visit."

Referee

César Soto Grado, from La Rioja, is in charge of this clash, while De Burgos Bengoetxea is on VAR duty. Soto Grado is officiating his seventh Sevilla match in LaLiga since reaching the top-flight in the 2019/20 season, and this is his first one since last season's 0-0 draw at home to Real Sociedad. José Ángel and Isco will pick up a one-match suspension if they receive a booking tonight.