A TOUGH TEST TO MAINTAIN OUR LEAD AT THE TOP OF THE LEAGUE

The Sevilla fan-base know exactly what's coming next. Their team was at the top of the table after four matchdays - now joint leader with Granada who's only loss came against Sevilla. However, this table doesn't tell the whole story as after four matchdays, everyone knows that there's a long way to go. That being said, this shouldn't distract from the fact that team have been playing very well and deserve their lead at the top of the table. After five games this season, we have played four of them away from home - winning them all without conceding a single goal.

The only goal that Sevilla have conceded up until this point was in the draw at home against Celta. However, that's football and Lopetegui hasn't changed his tune at all and said that tonight's game will be special. Real Madrid is, of course, his previous team which wasn't full of success after his departure from coach of the national team. However, that hasn't put Lopetegui off and after a minor setback with Madrid, he has found himself at Sevilla which, at the moment, has been very fruitful with a lot of good results.

Lopetegui comes up against his former club not even a year after leaving them

After the win in Azerbaijan with a lot of changes to the starting XI, everything points towards the team reverting back to something similar as it has been in the first four league games so far. That being said, it's still to be seen whether those who haven't played many minutes have done enough to warrant a place in the starting XI. With Nolito returning to the group, the question of his fitness for this game and whether he would be in the squad has been answered. Moreover, all is not running so smoothly for the opposition at this moment in time. Real Madrid have made a stuttering start to the season after an unusual campaign last time out.

In addition, the heavy defeat in the Champions League against PSG has placed even more importance on this game, and asked more questions about this group of players. One of their own players, Reguilón, has been one of Sevilla's stand-out performers so far this season after leaving the Bernabéu to gain more playing time. Reguilón didn't play last time out in Azerbaijan and will be itching to get back into the starting XI to face against those who, not so long ago, were his own teammates. As for the rest: Modric, Marcelo, Asensio and Isco are all injured for this game.

Reguilón, one of Sevilla's star performers this season, comes up against his old teammates

Real Madrid will obviously be trying to break their record of late at the Sánchez-Pizjuán. The last four times they have visited Nervión, the points have stayed at home. Sevilla have found the back of the net in the last 17 seasons against Real Madrid at home. This matchday has seen FC Barcelona lose three points away at Granada, and also seen Atlético de Madrid pick up just the one point.

The referee for the game is Juan Martínez Munuera from Valencia, who was in charge of the first league game of the season against Espanyol when Sevilla won 2-0. Last season, he took charge of two Sevilla games: the 4-2 defeat in the Camp Nou and the 2-0 home win against Deportivo Alavés. José María Sánchez Martínez will be in charge of the VAR this evening.