Champions League Preview: Sevilla - Stuttgart

Kick-off: Wednesday, November 4 2009, 20:45 CET.
Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, Seville, Spain

Super Surprise

Sevilla came into the Champions League this term as nothing more than La Liga’s third hope – behind Real Madrid and Barcelona – to bring the coveted trophy back to Spanish shores.

But after three rounds, the Andalucians have flown quietly under the radar. While the capital giants and the Catalan behemoths have stumbled, it is Manolo Jimenez’s men who have surprised and shone the brightest. 

Not only have the Rojiblancos been the most impressive representative from Spain in the Champions League so far, but they are also the only side other than Chelsea, Olympique Lyonnais and Manchester United to preserve a 100 per cent record in the competition, although they have scored more goals than the other three experienced campaigners.

This is Sevilla’s second ever appearance in Europe’s blue ribbon club competition, but they have won all six matches on home soil – five of them in their debut year in the 2007-08 season and one so far this term.

A seventh Champions League victory at the Sanchez Pizjuan for Los Nervionenses on Wednesday night against Stuttgart will all but confirm their berth in the round of 16. If closest rivals Unirea Urziceni fail to win against Rangers, then the Spaniards will have the added bonus of securing top spot in Group H with two games remaining.

Struggling Stuttgart

The German outfit are now on a seven-game winless run in all competitions. They have yet to pick up a victory in the group stage of the Champions League and their 2-0 win at Timisoara in the first leg of the play-off round of this tournament is one of only three wins they have managed on all fronts since mid-August.

Currently 14th in the Bundesliga standings, right on the threshold of the relegation zone, the Schwaben did, however, pull off a morale-boosting 0-0 draw with perennial title favourites Bayern Munich at the weekend. It was enough to put an end to a horror run of five successive defeats, but it still deprived VfB of a taste of victory in the entire month of October.  

Head coach, Markus Babbel has readily admitted that he is responsible for the team’s downward fortunes and poor form. The 37-year-old former defender, along with his club board, are confident that improvements will come, but he will have to turn the tide soon if he wants the team to stay in the Champions League or even make it into the latter stages of the Europa League. 

FORM GUIDE

Sevilla

Oct 31 Xerez 0-2 Sevilla (La Liga)

Oct 27 Atletico Ciudad 2-4 Sevilla (Copa del Rey)

Oct 24 Sevilla 0-0 Espanyol (La Liga)

Oct 20 Stuttgart 1-3 Sevilla (Champions League)

Oct 17 Deportivo La Coruna 1-0 Sevilla (La Liga)

Stuttgart

Oct 31 Stuttgart 0-0 Bayern Munich (Bundesliga)

Oct 27 Greuther Furth 1-0 Stuttgart (DFB Pokal)

Oct 24 Hannover 96 1-0 Stuttgart (Bundesliga)

Oct 20 Stuttgart 1-3 Sevilla (Champions League)

Oct 17 Stuttgart 1-2 Schalke (Bundesliga)

TEAM NEWS

Sevilla

Coach Jimenez should have first choice goalkeeper Andres Palop back in the team. The veteran shot-stopper has made a full recovery from a calf problem that has kept him out since mid-October. Frederic Kanoute, Adriano and Abdoulay Konko are all also expected to return having successfully shaken off their niggles.

Javier Chevanton pulled out of training on Monday with a minor knee injury, although he is expected to be fit in time. Federico Fazio and Lautaro Acosta are certain absentees.

Probable Starting XI (4-4-2): Palop – Sergio Sanchez, Escude, Squillaci, Fernando Navarro – Jesus Navas, Duscher, Zokora, Perotti – Negredo, Luis Fabiano

Stuttgart

Die Roten will have big problems at right-back as Ricardo Osorio and Christian Trasch are sidelined by a torn thigh muscle and a groin strain respectively.

Babbel will also have to make do without forward Cacau and midfielder Sami Khedira, while Martin Lanig has been out of action since August with a cruciate ligament injury. Striker Ciprian Marica, who pulled a groin muscle in the weekend draw against Bayern Munich, had been hopeful of winning a fitness race but he has been left out of the squad to work on his recovery.  

Probable Starting XI (4-1-3-2): Lehmann – Boulahrouz, Tasci, Delpierre, Boka – Hitzlsperger – Kuzmanovic, Elson, Hleb – Pogrebnyak, Schieber

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Sevilla

Luis Fabiano may not be firing on all cylinders yet in La Liga, but in the Champions League he already has two goals and three assists. Strike partner Alvaro Negredo looks to have settled in nicely with the Andalucians following his summer move from Real Madrid and he’ll be looking for more goals to keep his momentum going. The two frontmen will need to be provided with plenty of ammunition. They should have that in abundance with Jesus Navas and Diego Perotti on either wing.

Stuttgart

Aliaksandr Hleb, on loan from Barcelona, is a player who knows all about the atmosphere in Spain and in Sevilla. The Belarusian will provide the attacking impetus for Stuttgart. However, he can’t help his side pull off an upset all on his own. Goalkeeper Jens Lehmann will have to be at his best to keep his rampant opponents at bay, as will defender and former Sevilla player, Khalid Boulahrouz.

PREDICTION

Sevilla easily walked away 3-1 winners in the reverse fixture two weeks ago at the Mercedes-Benz Arena, and, if they can maintain focus and avoid complacency, they should bag the three points required to advance to the knockout round.

Sevilla 3-0 Stuttgart

KS Leong, Goal.com