Sevilla vs Almeria preview - Sevilla back to bread and butter

Posted Saturday, October 05, 2013 by PA

Sevilla will look to transfer their hugely impressive Europa League form to the Primera Division when they play host to struggling Almeria on Sunday.

The Andalusian outfit have made a slow start to their league campaign, winning just one of their opening seven matches and picking up just six points from a possible 21.

However, it has been a completely different story away from La Liga with Sevilla victorious in all six of their Europa League fixtures so far, scoring 22 goals and conceding just three.

Striker Carlos Bacca, who scored Sevilla's second in their 2-0 win over Freiburg on Thursday night, admits his side are playing with a confidence in Europe they do not have in the Primera Division, but has pointed out they have had a far from easy fixture list so far domestically.

The Colombia international told AS: "In the league we've faced top-class opposition, Barcelona, Atletico, Valencia, Real Sociedad...although it's true that in the Europa League our confidence levels are much better, and therefore we are more relaxed.

"I think that we're playing well in both competitions, the only thing is that in the league, for one reason or another, we've not managed to get as many positive results as we've deserved."

Sevilla's last home league match saw them pick up their first win of the season, Bacca scoring twice in a 4-1 triumph over nine-man Rayo Vallecano, and they will fancy their chances of adding another victory against lowly Almeria.

Francisco Rodriguez's newly promoted side find themselves in the relegation zone with just three points from seven games, and they are the only team in La Liga still without a win.

Almeria can take confidence from some of their recent performances at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan though, winning 3-1 on their last visit to Sevilla in 2010 and 4-1 in 2008, when Alvaro Negredo netted twice.

And should the current side need any advice on what to expect on Sunday, they could do worse than ask defender Nelson, who spent five seasons at Sevilla's arch-rivals Real Betis.

The Portugal international said in La Voz de Almeria: "I played for Betis and my son was born in Seville, so it will be a very emotional game for me and also for my family.

"I know the Sevilla fans well and, as I played at Betis, it's normal they will jeer, but that motivates me. It will be a nice and special game."