When the season started, few would have thought that this game would be a top of the table clash, but that is what it is as Barcelona host the in-form Sevilla here.
Barcelona and Real Madrid have uncharacteristically been struggling recently and Sevilla is one of a few teams that have taken advantage of their bad form to get themselves up the league table. Barcelona currently trail their visitors by a single point, and allowing them to leave the Camp Nou with even a point would signal that the season may have entered a full-blown crisis mode.
Barcelona head into this game on the back of a four games winless run and they would be under pressure to end that dismal run in this game. However, they did improve just before the international break by winning at Tottenham and picking up a draw at the Mestalla against Valencia.
Sevilla are top of the league table for the first time since 2007. That season they ended their campaign in 3rd position.
While it is too early to talk about them challenging for the title, if they continue like this they comfortably finish inside the top three again.
Barcelona have a great recent record against Sevilla, winning 9 of the 10 meetings since the start of 2016.
That includes Copa del Rey Final and Spanish Super Cup victories this year. Sevilla have only won one of their last 22 games against Barcelona in La Liga (D5 L16), 2-1 in October 2015, keeping a clean sheet only once in the process.
