First team

LOPETEGUI: "BARCELONA HAVE IMPROVED A LOT WITH YOUNG PLAYERS"

20/12/2021

"We're not looking at the table, we're only thinking about playing well"

Julen Lopetegui, Sevilla FC coach, spoke to the media on the eve of the home fixture against FC Barcelona. The Matchday 4 fixture was meant to take place in September, but was postponed. The coach began by stating that "there's barely been any time since we were in action with a difficult fixture, and now we're facing an even tougher one. They have improved a lot, with players that you'd struggle to see at other teams, young but very good. They have got players back such as Dembele, so we're expecting them to be very strong and with the influence of Xavi. We'll try to be fully recovered and prepare well, today we trained with thirteen first-team players so we'll have to wait until tomorrow to make our final decisions".

"Barcelona were better than Elche and the final score did not reflect what you could see on the pitch. They're starting to pick up some new concepts and we will have get lots of things right both in defence and in attack. We're always excited ahead of matches, despite all the difficulties. They're able to fight for everything", he added.

Lopetegui also commented that "you can see what Barcelona are looking for and they have the right players for that. They want the ball, they want width, etc. They've got young, capable players, some of them start for Spain, while they've got top-class, experienced players. They have a lot of width, they're good at one-on-one situations, etc. Between the two areas we're going to have to do a lot of things right".

"Ocampos is undergoing further tests and we will know more tomorrow. En-Nesyri has the all-clear"

The coach then spoke about team selection issues: "Ocampos is undergoing further tests and we will know more tomorrow in order to make decisions. Until tomorrow we won't be able to know which players we can call upon. Everything has gone really quickly and in the last month we've barely been able to have a base of fourteen first-team players. We'll have eleven tomorrow, for sure. Youssef has the all-clear and could either start or come off the bench if we consider it necessary".

"We don't make assessments until the end of the season. Our only assessment is the next half of the season and we know for a fact it will be tough", he concluded.