Espanyol out to end Sevilla hoodoo

RCD Espanyol will attempt to end a sequence of ten games without a win against Sevilla FC when the sides meet on Thursday in the first leg of their 2014/15 Copa del Rey quarter-final, in what will be the latest instalment of a historical rivalry that has run since their first duel in the 1934/35 campaign.

The sides have been paired together in seven Copa del Rey ties in history, and there has been little to choose between them. Sevilla have won four, including the most recent, a round-of-32 clash in the 2012/13 season. In that tie, a Sevilla outfit coached by Míchel came out on top at home in the first leg, winning 3-1 through goals from Federico Fazio, Juan Cala and Álvaro Negredo. In the return in Barcelona, Sevilla claimed victory again as strikes from Diego Perotti, Ivan Rakitic and Babá Diawara sealed a 0-3 triumph and confirmed their qualification for the last 16. Of the players who were involved in the tie, Fernando Navarro, Coke, Cicinho and José Antonio Reyes remain at Sevilla, while Kiko Casilla, Diego Colotto, Víctor Sánchez, Christian Stuani, Víctor Álvarez, Héctor Moreno and Javi López are still part of Espanyol’s squad.

However, perhaps the most important of all the clashes ever played between Espanyol and Sevilla took place neither in Barcelona nor Seville, but in Glasgow. The teams came face to face in a spectacular 2006/07 UEFA Cup final at Hampden Park, which Sevilla won on penalties after 120 exciting minutes of action had ended in a 2-2 stalemate. Juande Ramos, who had experienced a brief period in charge of Espanyol in 2002, was the coach who led Sevilla to this European trophy.

In total, Espanyol have gone ten games in a row without beating Sevilla, their most recent triumph against the Andalusians coming in the Liga BBVA in 2010/11. Since then, Sevilla have won seven of the ten encounters, including the two Copa del Rey legs in 2012/13. What’s more, the Copa represents Espanyol’s major opportunity to get back into Europe in view of their Liga BBVA position 12 points off the European places, and – as they demonstrated by knocking out Valencia CF in the previous round – Sergio González’s side are taking the tournament extremely seriously.

Thursday’s match will offer some outstanding on-field match-ups. Sevilla are enjoying a terrific season in terms of defensive solidity, and have kept a clean sheet in eight of their 19 Liga BBVA games, including the last five – but will be up against an Espanyol attacking line in which Felipe Caicedo, Stuani, Sergio García and youngster Lucas Vázquez are shining with their goals. However, Sevilla boast the Copa del Rey’s two highest scorers this season: Iago Aspas with seven and Kevin Gameiro on five.

The duel will also give the young talents at both teams the opportunity to continue to show off their ability. Lucas Vázquez has proved one of the surprises of the season since joining from Real Madrid Castilla, and at Sevilla the youngsters Gerard Deulofeu and Denis Suárez are growing in influence in their first season at the club after arriving on loan from FC Barcelona.

These are just some of the ingredients of a tie that has the makings of a thrilling one. Espanyol and Sevilla know that they face a golden opportunity to regain the trophy, and are going to give their all to clinch a place in the Copa del Rey semi-finals.