Barcelona Faces Sevilla in First Real Test of the Season

Barcelona walk into the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan tonight with a target on their back and 18 points out of 18 in their pocket. Six games, six wins, goals flowing, and a team playing like it believes every attack should end with the net shaking.

Now comes Sevilla away. The kind of night that usually strips away any illusions.

Flick’s first big call: Szczesny in goal

All eyes are on Hansi Flick’s choice between the posts. With Joan Garcia out after injuring his right knee, the door has swung open for Wojciech Szczesny.

The German coach refused to give a full confirmation on Friday, but his tone after the midweek win over Racing Santander told its own story. Szczesny, 36 and seasoned at the very highest level, is expected to step in for his first major La Liga test in Barcelona colours.

Flick is not just tweaking. He is rotating with purpose.

Cubarsi starts, big names to the bench

“Mundo Deportivo” report that the Barcelona boss will roll out several changes to his starting XI, and this time Flick himself has supplied the headline: Pau Cubarsi will start.

The teenager’s inclusion at centre-back is locked in. The mystery lies next to him. Gerard Martin and Andreas Christensen are locked in a straight fight to partner Cubarsi at the heart of the defence, a decision that will say plenty about how aggressively Flick wants to defend in Seville.

Across the pitch, the spine of his first-choice side remains intact. Eric Garcia, Rodri, Pedri, Lamine Yamal and Raphinha are all seen as non-negotiables right now, the pillars of this early-season surge.

That security has consequences. Joao Cancelo, Dani Olmo and Karim Adeyemi are all expected to slide down to the bench, joined by Egyptian striker Hamza Abdelkarim, as Flick freshens the side for a higher-intensity clash.

The pressure has now shifted to the players who were rested.

Fresh legs for a fierce away day

Marc Casado, Fermin Lopez and Anthony Gordon all sat out the previous match. Tonight, they should be right in the thick of it.

Casado brings balance and bite. Fermin offers late runs and goals from midfield. Gordon adds direct running and width that can stretch even a well-drilled back line. In a stadium that demands personality, these are the profiles Flick clearly trusts.

On current indications, Barcelona could line up like this:

Szczesny; Eric Garcia, Cubarsi, Gerard Martin, Espart; Rodri, Pedri; Lamine Yamal, Fermin Lopez, Anthony Gordon; Raphinha.

It is a side built to dominate the ball, but also to run. Hard.

Sevilla wounded, but not broken

Sevilla arrive with their own problems. Belgian forward Lucas Stassin is ruled out with a muscle injury, while Ruben Vargas also remains sidelined. Two attacking absences that strip some edge from their front line.

The mood in defence is lighter. Senegalese centre-back Aroura Sangante has shaken off an ankle sprain and is back in contention. Kike Salas is also available, despite taking a knock to his right leg in the Riazor clash and missing Thursday’s training session.

So Sevilla are not at full strength. But they are far from soft.

Barcelona have looked almost untouchable through six rounds. Tonight, in a hostile stadium against a side desperate to punch up, we find out how real that dominance truly is.