Sevilla: 5 reasons they can top Barcelona in the La Liga standings
By Roy Emanuel
A physical approach
Real Madrid and Barcelona boast many of the most talented footballers in the world, and their success in La Liga can be overwhelming for many of the other Spanish clubs. However, Sevilla are finding positive results with a blueprint that shocked the league three seasons ago.
Atletico Madrid and manager Diego Simeone captured the league title during the 2013-14 campaign with a physical approach that simply knocked the competition out. Skillful players were certainly within the squad, but it was the way in which Los Rojiblancos approached matches against the big clubs that truly set them apart.
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Currently, Sevilla possess many of those same qualities and they have brought Los Nervionenses higher up the table this year.
Nicolas Pareja, Clement Lenglet and Adil Rami give Sevilla a spark in central defence. Steven N’Zonzi is a formidable presence in the midfield that can disrupt even the most potent attack.
Jorge Sampaoli and captain Vicente Iborra lead the team into high-profile encounters understanding that the best way to defeat a talented opponent is to not let them get comfortable at any point.
Controlled aggression is even found up front, as strikers like Vitolo and Wissam Ben Yedder have shown incredible grit and desire. This has been especially true late in matches.
La Liga features the two greatest football clubs on the planet in Real Madrid and Barcelona, but Sevilla’s determination has shown that they will be able to compete right down to the end.