Yamal's Injury Opens Door for Lewandowski as Barcelona Prepares Sevilla Showdown
Barcelona travel to the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán this Sunday to face Sevilla in their final fixture ahead of the October international window.
Real Madrid's crushing 5–2 loss to city rivals Atlético Madrid, paired with Barcelona's triumph over Real Sociedad, allowed Hansi Flick's squad to leapfrog Los Blancos at the summit of the La Liga table.
Nevertheless, Paris Saint-Germain inflicted Barcelona's maiden loss of the campaign in their most recent Champions League encounter. The Catalan giants were thoroughly dominated by a depleted PSG team that highlighted defensive frailties Flick needs to remedy swiftly.
Injury concerns persist in troubling Flick, with Lamine Yamal sidelined once more after worsening his recent groin problem. Several Barça players appeared drained during the PSG setback, suggesting additional squad rotation is likely against Sevilla.
Despite personnel changes, Barcelona remain favorites to secure their eighth straight victory over Sevilla, with any other result viewed as underwhelming.
Barcelona Predicted Lineup vs. Sevilla (4-2-3-1)
GK: Wojciech Szczęsny—Szczęsny will seek to maintain his perfect La Liga record while filling in for the sidelined Joan García.
RB: Jules Koundé—Eric García departed the PSG clash with apparent discomfort and though it may be minor, some rest would benefit him. Jules Koundé retains his starting role at right-back.
CB: Ronald Araújo—The Uruguayan defender will wear the captain's armband and has shown marked improvement recently, despite seemingly ranking below García in Flick's pecking order.
CB: Pau Cubarsí—Cubarsí seeks a more composed and structured display alongside Araújo following their shaky defensive showing against PSG.
LB: Alejandro Balde—Gerard Martín performed admirably during Balde's absence, but with the regular starter fully fit, Barcelona gain a significant upgrade.
CM: Frenkie de Jong—The Dutch midfielder sat out last weekend's Real Sociedad match but won't receive similar rest against Sevilla, particularly with his typical midfield companion likely to be rotated.
CM: Marc Casadó—Pedri appeared exhausted in the second period against PSG after featuring in every match this season. Casadó steps into the starting eleven to partner De Jong.
AM: Dani Olmo—Olmo has endured a challenging beginning to his second Barcelona campaign. The Spanish playmaker gets the starting nod, though Fermín López's post-international break return could threaten his position.
RW: Roony Bardghji—The summer signing impressed against Real Sociedad and should earn consecutive league starts following Yamal's injury setback. Bardghji remains without a goal or assist in Barcelona colors.
ST: Robert Lewandowski—The experienced striker's influence has waned early this season, yet he's netted four times in Barça's previous four La Liga outings.
LW: Ferran Torres—The adaptable forward tops Barcelona's scoring charts with five goals this term and consistently maximizes his chances. With Marcus Rashford another option for the bench, Torres may feature wide against Sevilla.
