AFC Bournemouth
AFC Bournemouth face Spanish side Sevilla in their opening game of the club’s 2018/19 pre-season fixture list. Here's a closer look at the La Liga side...
Overview
Full name: Sevilla Futbol Club SAD
Head coach: Pablo Machin
Kit colours: All white (home), all red (away), all yellow (third)
Home ground: Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan
Capacity: 42,714
2017/18 season
La Liga: 7th
Copa del Rey: Runners-up
Champions League: Quarter-finals
Expert view
The Sevilla that you will see this season will be far different from the one that disappointed in La Liga last campaign under Eduardo Berizzo, Vincenzo Montella and Joaquin Caparros.
Pablo Machin has been appointed as their new boss, after getting Girona promoted to La Liga for the first time and then guiding the Catalonian club to a top-half finish in their first Primera season.
Machin focuses on the tactical side of the game, rather than being a coach that looks to manage egos and morale well.
Sevilla should be lining up with three central defenders after their appointment, and countering at pace will be something that is encouraged. Wing backs are relied upon to keep the width, with a focal point deployed up front to be an aerial presence. As of yet, the club haven't signed a player of that profile, but their approach should remain the same.
Although he is unlikely to play, Ever Banega is a real talent in the centre of midfield, as the broader world got to see from his fantastic clipped pass into Lionel Messi's path during the World Cup.
The former Inter midfielder sets the tempo and loves to have plenty of possession, with his vision and cutting edge a real threat from both deeper or more advanced midfield areas.
Simon Harrison (@simonhfootball), La Liga expert for FourFourTwo, WhoScored and more.
