La Liga strugglers Celta Vigo will begin life after Rafael Benitez with a trip to Estadio Ramon on Sunday afternoon to take on Sevilla.
Benitez was sacked following Celta's 4-0 loss at Real Madrid last weekend, with the result leaving them 17th in the La Liga table, just two points clear of the relegation zone, while Sevilla sit 14th, six points ahead of 18th-placed Cadiz.
Match preview
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Sevilla were close to claiming all three points against basement side Almeria last time out, taking a 2-1 lead in the latter stages of the contest, but a 95th-minute effort from Marezi made it 2-2 at the Power Horse Stadium.
Quique Sanchez Flores's side are 14th in Spain's top flight, boasting a record of six wins, 10 draws and 12 defeats from 28 matches, which has left them on 28 points, six points ahead of the relegation zone and four clear of their opponents in this weekend's contest.
Sevilla have turned a corner in recent weeks, losing just one of their last seven in the league, recording three wins in the process, but there is no getting away from the fact that it has been another poor campaign.
Los Nervionenses finished 12th in La Liga last season, which proved to be their worst final placing since being relegated from the top level in 1999-2000.
Sevilla are actually seven points off 12th position at this stage, so it will be tough to match or better their spot from last term, but their main focus will currently be staying clear of the relegation zone.
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Celta made the decision to sack Benitez as head coach after fewer than nine months following the 4-0 loss to Real Madrid last weekend.
The 63-year-old only managed to deliver five wins from 28 La Liga matches, with a total of 24 points leaving them down in 17th spot in the table, just two points ahead of 18th-placed Cadiz.
The Sky Blues have appointed Claudio Giraldez, who had been in charge of Celta B, as their new manager, and the 36-year-old will be bidding to get off to the perfect start this weekend.
Celta have picked up 11 points from their 14 league matches on their travels this season, while Sevilla have claimed only 17 points from their 14 games in front of their own supporters.
The Vigo outfit, who finished 13th in Spain's top flight last season, are actually unbeaten against Sevilla since October 2021, with each of their last four meetings in La Liga finishing level.
Team News
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Sevilla's injury situation has certainly eased, with a number of players returning in recent matches, but Juanlu Sanchez, Joan Jordan, Lucien Agoume and Mariano Diaz will be absent this weekend.
Marcos Acuna, Suso and Dodi Lukebakio are among the players pushing to be introduced into the side, but head coach Sanchez Flores could potentially name an unchanged XI.
Isaac Romero is set to again feature alongside Youssef En-Nesyri in the final third of the field, while Lucas Ocampos could continue as a left-sided wing-back.
As for Celta, Williot Swedberg, Renato Tapia, Mihailo Ristic, Joseph Aidoo and Carlos Dotor are unavailable through injury.
The Sky Blues are therefore expected to have the same squad available as their last match, and there are unlikely to be any major changes despite the disappointment of the result.
Giraldez will need time to implement a system and playing style, but he is expected to lean on the experienced players in the squad, including Iago Aspas, who has only managed five league goals this season.
Sevilla possible starting lineup:
Nyland; Navas, Bade, Ramos, Salas, Ocampos; Sow, Soumare, Torres; Romero, En-Nesyri
Celta Vigo possible starting lineup:
Guaita; Mingueza, Manquillo, Starfelt, U Nunez, M Sanchez; De la Torre, Beltran, Bamba; Aspas, Larsen
We say: Sevilla 2-1 Celta Vigo
This is a tough match to call, as Sevilla have struggled with consistency this season, and Celta will be hoping for a new manager bounce this weekend. We are expecting a tight match but believe that Sevilla will be able to navigate their way to an important three points.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Matt Law
