LOOKING FOR A THIRD CONSECUTIVE WIN WITH A TRIP TO THE RCDE STADIUM

It's difficult to believe that Julen Lopetegui will think about anything aside from today's match. However, today's match at the RCDE Stadium will mark a return to where his Sevilla FC story began, back in August 2019. This is where his first official match in charge of Sevilla took place, the opening fixture of LaLiga in the 2019/20 season, where the team won 2-0. As Espanyol were eventually relegated at the end of that season, this is the second visit to Cornellá-El Prat in the Lopetegui era. 

In terms of team selection, Lopetegui cannot call upon Karim Rekik, who was forced off by injury against Dinamo Zagreb, while Acuña is suspended after picking up a fifth yellow card against Elche. Joan Jordán is back in the squad after serving his suspension in midweek, while Tecatito has recovered from the injury that ruled him out of the European clash. The team go into this match on the back of two home wins, following on from three consecutive draws in the league, and are looking for their first away win in the league since the trip to Cádiz last month. 

Acuña and Rekik are unavailable for today's clash

As for the hosts, RCD Espanyol play again at home. They came within a whisker of taking all three points in their derby, but Luuk de Jong's stoppage-time header meant they had to settle for a point. Despite being in 14th place, they lie eight points above the relegation zone. The Catalan side are yet to win in 2022, with their last triumph coming on New Years' Eve away at Valencia, and have only taken two points in their last five matches. However, their home record is strong, with six wins and three draws in their twelve matches so far. Morlanes and Melamed are suspended, while David López misses out through injury. 

Pablo González Fuertes, from Asturias, is the referee for today's fixture. In fact, the only time he has taken charge of either Sevilla or Espanyol this season was in the reverse fixture, which ended as a 2-0 win. In total, Sevilla have four wins, a draw and three defeats with this official, while Espanyol have five wins, three draws and three defeats. José Luis González González is on VAR duty.