HOSTING A VALENCIA SIDE WHO ARE LOOKING TO SECURE EUROPEAN QUALIFICATION

It seemed unfeasible in the middle of March when everything, including football of course, came to a halt, when life stopped. However, today, Sunday 19th July, the 2019/20 LaLiga season, without a doubt the strangest season in history, will come to a close. Sevilla FC have shone for the majority of the season and have accomplished their goal of securing Champions League qualification. They welcome Valencia CF to the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán tonight, behind closed doors of course, in what will be the eleventh and final match since the restart.

After a goalless draw against Real Sociedad in San Sebastián on Thursday, Sevilla FC are fourth in the table with 67 points, two behind Atlético de Madrid, who did manage to win their match against Getafe. A third-placed finish is possible, but only if the Blanquirrojos beat Valencia and if Atlético de Madrid lose to Real Sociedad. Curiously, both Real Sociedad and Valencia could finish in the Europa League places. Julen Lopetegui will be unable to select Éver Banega today, after he picked up a tenth yellow card in the Basque Country on Thursday. 

To qualify for the UEFA Europa League, Valencia need to win and need results elsewhere to go their way

Valencia CF go into today's match in the Andalusian capital on the back of a hard-fought win against RCD Espanyol. They are in eighth place with 53 points and a win against Sevilla, with a defeat for either Real Sociedad or Getafe, would send them into the UEFA Europa League. Voro, the Valencia manager, will be unable to pick Jaume Costa after his red card, nor Diakhaby, who is suspended due to receiving a fifth yellow card.

In his pre-match press conference, Julen Lopetegui spoke about the "satisfaction of achieving the aim of Champions League qualification" ahead of next season, but he also spoke about his squad's desire to win against the Valencianistas today "to finish LaLiga in the best way possible".

Tonight's match will kick off at 21:00 at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán, and will be refereed by González González from Castile and León. Álvarez Izquierdo is on VAR duty.