Time for Denis Suarez to shine and other talking points as Barcelona host Sevilla in La Liga

Andy West 22:28 03/11/2017
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  • LaLiga leaders Barcelona will play host to Sevilla on Sunday.

    Here, we take a look at all the talking points ahead of the high-voltage clash.

    Will  Blaugrana triumph at the Camp Nou?

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    IS THERE ANY BEATING TER STEGEN?

    Barca’s defensive record is getting plain silly. Tuesday’s clean sheet in the Champions League 0-0 draw at Olympiacos means that they have now gone 361 minutes without conceding since the Greek team grabbed a late consolation in their 3-1 loss at Camp Nou last month.

    And that’s not an isolated achievement because Barca have been defensively supreme throughout the season, allowing just four goals in 15 games – a very large reason, it goes without saying, for their position at the top of the table.

    Occasionally, such as in last weekend’s win at Athletic Bilbao, maintaining that record has been down to heroic goalkeeping from Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who has recovered from his occasional jitters of early last season to provide a truly commanding presence between the posts, especially when you add his excellent ball distribution skills to his shop-stopping abilities.

    But there have been plenty of other games where ter Stegen hasn’t even had that much to do, thanks to a very solid defensive block based on the increasingly convincing partnership between Gerard Pique and Samuel Umtiti, who has probably been Barca’s second best outfield player (behind you-know-who) this season.

    Although their overall play is lacking fluency, there’s not too much wrong with Barca’s defensive set-up and if they maintain this form, they can even afford for Luis Suarez to continue to miss chances every week.

    Top form: German star Ter Stegen.

    TIME FOR DENIS TO SHINE?

    Barcelona have been hit by a mini-injury crisis in midfield this week, with Sergi Roberto and Andre Gomes both suffering injuries during the Champions League stalemate at Olympiacos which will keep them out of action until December, while captain Andres Iniesta is a doubt after only just recovering from injury.

    That could open up a space in the midfield for coach Ernesto Valverde to fill, and in the absence of any other options it will probably be taken by Denis Suarez, who could finally get a chance which many fans believe he should have been granted long ago.

    Denis, who had a year on loan at Sevilla in 2014/15, has played less than three hours of league football so far this season, but he has made the most of those minutes by scoring two goals and registering two assists, leaving many fans perplexed why he has not been granted more opportunities.

    Valverde still has another option in the form of talented but inconsistent Gerard Deulofeu, but at the very least Denis must now be the first option from the bench to finally establish himself as an important player for the team. And with Gomes, Roberto, Rafinha, Arda Turan and possibly Iniesta all out injured, if he can’t do it now he probably never will.

    Can Barca’s other Suarez shine?

    ARE SEVILLA ON THEIR WAY BACK?

    It’s been a strange season for Sevilla, who started off the campaign by picking up a series of decent results without playing well but then absolutely collapsed, losing three consecutive games including a 5-1 Champions League thrashing at Spartak Moscow and a 4-0 demolition at Valencia.

    That trauma even sparked speculation that coach Eduardo Berizzo, a summer appointment from Celta Vigo, was in danger of being fired despite only being a few weeks into his new job.

    Since then, however, Sevilla have mounted something of a recovery and they come into this weekend’s game at Camp Nou on the back of three straight wins, culminating in Wednesday’s much-needed 2-1 Champions League victory over Spartak.

    Even more encouragingly for the Andalusians, they seem to be starting to find their feet under Berizzo, looking a more complete and compact team with versatile midfielder Pablo Sarabia and playmaker Ever Banega, who scored the second goal in midweek, particularly coming to the fore.

    Nothing could help Sevilla further build up their growing confidence than causing an upset against the league leaders, and Barca can certainly take nothing for granted.

    Mixed fortunes for the Andalusian side this term.

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