Match Preview: Saturday 13/05/2006 20:00 (GMT+2): La Liga match day 38
Sevilla CF - FC Barcelona

Sánchez Pizjuan, Sevilla – capacity: 33.800


Referee: Texeira Vitienes


FC Barcelona (4-3-3): Jorquera – Belletti (Gabri), Oleguer (Rodri), Motta, Sylvinho, – Xavi (Van Bommel), Iniesta (Martos), Montañes – Larsson , Maxi, Ezquerro - Manager: Frank Rijkaard






Sevilla(4-4-2): Palop - Aitor Ozio, Dragutinovic,

Daniel Alves, Javi Navarro - Adriano, Diego Capel, J. Navas, Jesuli - Kanouté, Saviola - Manager: Juande Ramos



After winning the Spanish league title last week already, the match against Sevilla is meaningless and only a distruction of the intensive preparation for the Champions League final against Arsenal next Wednesday. Barcelona will travel to Sevilla with only a 17 player squad including 4 reserve team players, Rodri, Sylvestre, Montañés and Martos.

FC Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard will rest several regular starters, including Ronaldinho, Eto'o, Deco, Puyol, Márquez, Edmílson, Gio and Giuly who will all stay at home. Unusal, but due to the unimportance of the game the team will travel on Saturday and not on the evening before match day. The travelling Barca players will meet early on Saturday morning to travel to El Prat airport and catch the flight to Sevilla at 9.30 am.


Barca coach Frank Rijkaard admits that he only wants to present a good image of the Club and the team. Boss Rijkaard also did not want to risk top scorer Samuel Eto'o. Eto'o agreed and respected the decision, even the Cameroon hitman will miss out on a valuable opportunity to extend his lead in the hunt for the leading goalscorer Award "Pichichi".


The full squad:
Valdés, Jorquera, Iniesta, Van Bommel, Oleguer, Gabri, Larsson, Ezquerro, Maxi, Rodri, Xavi, Belletti, Montañes, Sylvinho, Ludovic, Martos and Motta.


Our Prediction:

What can we say? The match is meaningless and nobody is really interested in it just 4 days before the "Big Final" against Arsenal on Wednesday. Sevilla will get a guard of honour by the Barca players in recognition to the UEFA Cup Champion. This will probably be one of the highlights of the game.
Sevilla will be tired from all the celebrations but will give everything to maintain there chances for a Champions League position. Also the Barça reserve players will be eager to show what they are worth. So, we predict that the match itself could be very interesting and entertaining.

Sevilla CF v FC Barcelona - result meaingless and not important


Visca el Barça!!