Barcelona return to league duty after the international break against a Sevilla team who have enjoyed a good start to the season.
Barcelona started the season very well and were sitting top before back to back defeats against Real Madrid and Celta Vigo. They fell behind in their last game, away to Almeria before coming back to win 2-1 and get their season back on track.
Barca have the best defensive record in La Liga having conceded just five goals in their eleven games although all five goals have come in their last three games after not conceding in their first eight games of the season.
Barcelona should now have a fully fit front line with Luis Suarez having a few games under his belt after his suspension and despite not scoring for Los Cules he has the assist on all three goals Barca have scored since his debut. However, Barcelona didn't buy him to create goals and Luis Enrique will be hoping he can break his duck against the Andulasians.
Suarez will join Lionel Messi and Neymar in the front line and will hope to add to the seventeen goals they have scored between them (Neymar (10), Messi (7)). Two of Barca's other signings, Ivan Rakitic and Jeremy Mathieu, have made good starts to their Camp Nou careers but the club need more from Gerard Pique, Andres Iniesta and Xavi who have been disappointing in comparison to their usual standards.
Luis Enrique could be without Andres Iniesta for this game. He has returned to light training but unlike Jeremy Mathieu and Rafinha he has not yet received clearance from the medical staff to participate. Otherwise he has the full squad at his disposal and can field a strong side as he hopes to keep the pressure on Real at the top of La Liga.
Sevilla have made a very good start to the season and currently sit fifth in La Liga. They won seven of their opening nine league matches with their only defeat being a 4-0 loss to Atletico Madrid. They have hit a sticky patch in their last two games, losing to Athletic Bilbao and being held to a draw at home to Levante.
Carlos Bacca has continued his good form from last season and has already netted seven league goals which is half of what he scored last season. Sevilla's best player so far has been their Polish midfielder, Grzegorz Krychowiak. They bought him for €4.5m in the summer from Reims and he has already been linked with Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund for a significantly higher fee.
Sevilla will be without their French left back, Benoit Tremoulinas who is likely to be replaced by either Diogo Figueiras or Kolo. Sevilla could field two players they have on loan from Barcelona. Gerard Deulofeu and Denis Suarez have two goals and six assists between them and there is no clause to stop them returning to hunt their parent club.
Neither side will be feeling good about their form heading into the winter break and both will be hoping to return to the early season form that seems to have deserted them in recent weeks.
Probable Lineups
Barcelona - Bravo; Alves, Mascherano, Mathieu, Alba; Rakitic, Busquets, Rafinha; Suarez, Messi, Neymar.
Sevilla - Beto; Coke, Pareja, Carrico, Kolo; Krychowiak, Mbia; Deulofeu, Suarez, Vitolo; Bacca.