The Champions League destinies of Sevilla and PSV Eindhoven could both be decided this week, as the two Group B rivals face off at Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on Wednesday evening.
Los Palanganas are still winless in the section and have just two points next to their name, while their visitors occupy the runners-up position as things stand.
Match preview
© Reuters
A tale as old as time, Europa League domination has not translated into Champions League mastery for Sevilla, who are potentially just 90 minutes away from exiting continental football entirely for the remainder of the 2023-24 campaign.
Ex-Uruguay head coach Diego Alonso - appointed as Jose Luis Mendilibar's successor - barely had any time to settle into the dugout before a taxing trip to Arsenal three weeks ago, where the Palanganas resorted to chopping down the Gunners' effervescent attacking talents at every attempt.
Such tactics only proved effective for so long, though, as the targeted Bukayo Saka found Leandro Trossard to open the scoring before picking out the bottom corner in the second period, leaving Sevilla still searching for their first Champions League win heading into the penultimate matchday.
Already eliminated from the first-placed conversation, Sevilla sit at the foot of the standings with a mere two points from a possible 12, three worse off than Lens and PSV, who will ensure that Alonso's side cannot qualify for the last 16 if they win on Wednesday evening.
Another shot at Europa League redemption will also be off the cards if they suffer defeat and Lens can at least draw at Arsenal, and a 2-1 La Liga loss to Real Sociedad was hardly ideal preparation for the hosts, whose Copa del Rey beating of Quintanar on November 1 is their only win from their last 11 games.
© Reuters
PSV certainly cannot empathise with the Europa League holders when it comes to domestic setbacks, as Peter Bosz's men continue to blow their Eredivisie foes to smithereens heading into the festive period; Twente were their latest victims in a 3-0 success on Saturday.
With 13 games gone in the 2023-24 Dutch top flight campaign, Bosz's side still boast an outrageous perfect record of 13 triumphs - opening up a seven-point lead over champions Feyenoord at the top of the standings - but PSV must now consign their Eredivisie title charge to the back of their minds for 90 minutes while a Champions League last-16 berth is at stake.
After failing to win any of their first three contests in Group B, the Rood-Witten relied on a Luuk de Jong header to down Lens on matchday four, allowing them to leapfrog their Ligue 1 counterparts into second place, but only the head-to-head tie-breaker is keeping them above Les Sang et Or at present.
As such, PSV remain in control of their own fate and will be confirmed as last-16 participants if they beat Sevilla and Lens lose to Arsenal, but no Rood-Witten fan needs reminding of their side's abysmal run on the road in Europe's elite competition.
Indeed, none of PSV's last 15 Champions League away matches - excluding qualifying - have ended in victory, the longest such winless run of any side in the current tournament, and only a 95th-minute Jordan Teze equaliser prevented Bosz's side from suffering a 2-1 loss to Sevilla in Eindhoven several weeks ago.
Team News
© Reuters
Sevilla's loss to Real Sociedad can be described as nothing short of a defensive catastrophe, as Jesus Navas and Sergio Ramos both saw red, while Loic Bade was forced off through injury after 73 minutes due to a calf concern.
Ramos and Navas's impending domestic bans mean nothing for this game, but Bade will not make the cut, so Tanguy Nianzou will be required to step into the backline with Marcao (muscular) also in the medical room.
Erik Lamela (calf), Suso (muscle) and Alfonso Pastor (knee) are Alonso's confirmed absentees for Wednesday's game, and the latter's fellow goalkeeper Orjan Nyland is still struggling with a quadriceps issue, so Marko Dmitrovic - who scored an own goal at the weekend - is set to continue in between the sticks.
On Tuesday, midfielder Boubakary Soumare was not able to complete Sevilla's final training session owing to an ankle issue, and Alonso has conceded that the ex-Lille man is a doubt for this one.
PSV also lost one of their central defenders to injury in their 3-0 win over Twente, albeit in peculiar circumstances, as Andre Ramalho was withdrawn on the 79-minute mark before Bosz claimed that the Brazilian is currently incapable of seeing out a full match.
While Bosz's comments would suggest that Ramalho is therefore fit to start on Wednesday, it would not be a shock to see Armando Obispo return alongside Olivier Boscagli, who alongside Ramalho is one booking away from a continental suspension.
Southampton loanee Armel Bella-Kotchap is still receiving treatment for an unspecified injury, but Mauro Junior and Noa Lang were both fit enough to make the bench at the weekend following concerns of their own.
Sevilla possible starting lineup:
Dmitrovic; Navas, Nianzou, Ramos, Acuna; Jordan, Sow, Fernando; Lukebakio, En-Nesyri, Ocampos
PSV Eindhoven possible starting lineup:
Benitez; Teze, Obispo, Boscagli, Dest; Veerman, Schouten, Til; Bakayoko, De Jong, Lozano
We say: Sevilla 1-2 PSV Eindhoven
Making the net ripple is never normally where Sevilla's issues lie - their misfortune can be often be traced back to a lack of defensive discipline - and such vulnerabilities are there for the PSV juggernaut to expose as the Dutch side aim to snap their horrendous away run in the Champions League.
Los Palanganas could and probably should have left Eindhoven with all three points in October, and we can envisage the hosts being punished for their late collapse in that game, as PSV condemn Sevilla to a third-placed finish at the very best while doing all they can to seal an early qualification.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Ben Knapton
