Sevilla vs Valencia - Sevilla seek to seize the day against Valencia

Posted Friday, November 25, 2016 by PA

High-flying Sevilla will be hoping to climb above Barcelona into second place in LaLiga, at least for 24 hours, when they host struggling Valencia on Saturday evening.

Jorge Sampaoli's side have won five of their six league games at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan this season, their only loss being against Barca, and they will be confident of picking up another three points against Valencia, who are just two points off the relegation zone.

Having already lost away to mid-table sides Celta Vigo, Eibar and Athletic Bilbao, Los Che face their toughest trip of the season so far and carry an unwanted statistic of not keeping a clean sheet away from home in 23 games.

Sevilla, on the other hand, are in impressive form, winning 19 of their last 24 home league fixtures, although they do go into this game on the back of a 3-1 defeat to Italian giants Juventus in the Champions League in midweek.

Sevilla have not lost at home to Valencia in any competition since 2004, having won eight of their last 10 home games against them, and know they have the chance to move to within three points of leaders Real Madrid if they suffer an upset at the hands of Sporting Gijon on Saturday afternoon.

Valencia could find themselves in the bottom three by the end of the weekend but on-loan striker Munir El Haddadi says they are determined to ease their relegation fears.

"We're keen to get out of this situation, get the team up to the top and make everyone happy," the Spain Under-21 international told the official VCF radio station.

"We will go all out against Sevilla, determined to take the three points. We will try to get them, however we can.

"We want to win every game. We are really hurting; you can tell this in the dressing room. We are determined to get out of this.

"We are creating a lot of chances and haven't been putting them away. We have been working on this.

"We shouldn't be worried about the lack of goals. Goals will come.

"Neither I, nor the team, like to draw or lose. When we draw or lose, I go home and don't speak to anyone. I go to my room and let the day go by. That's why we are determined to change this."

Sampaoli has brought in Joaquin Correa and Timothee Kolodziejczak for former Reading defender Daniel Carrico and Brazilian Mariano, who are both sidelined through injury.