It would be no easy task against the mighty FC Barcelona, but Sevilla FC intended to keep their winning run going. With last Saturday's win against Getafe, the team equalled the second best run in their history with seven straight wins. Last night was therefore a chance to extend that run and stand alone as the second best winning run in the history of Sevilla Fútbol Club. The best ever run was set back in 2006 when Juande Ramos' team won an incredible twelve straight games from the UEFA Cup semi-final until matchday three of the following season.
Sevilla now stand four matches away from the record. To equal it, they would have to beat Huesca, Borussia Dortmund, Osasuna and Barcelona who return to Nervión in the league just a week before the team travel to the Camp Nou for the return leg of the Cup semi-final. However, as Julen Lopetegui will reiterate, the only thing in the team's mind will be the match against Huesca and the chance to win the eleventh match of 2021, a chance to extend what has been a magnificient start to the year. In the twelve matches played since the New Year, the Nervionenses sit on ten wins, one draw and one defeat. The run betters last year's when the team began 2020 with four wins, five draws and three defeats. The contrast is even bigger with 18/19, when the year started with four wins, two draws, and six defeats.
This is the best run Sevilla have ever had to start the year off this century. The team have never started the year off with even nine wins from their first twelve matches. The next best run would be in 2016 when the team began with eight wins, three draws and a defeat, while 2017 began with eight wins, two draws and two defeats. Not even in 2001 when the team was in the Second Division did they start the year off so well, but a run of seven victories and three draws was key in securing promotion to La Liga that year.