Barcelona, the defending champions, look to solidify their position at the top of the Spanish La Liga standings after their continental setback when they visit Sevilla on Sunday in the eighth round, while Real Madrid hopes to make up for their capital derby loss as they face a tough test against Villarreal on Saturday.

The Catalan giants seized the lead after beating Real Sociedad 2-1, taking full advantage of their traditional rival Real Madrid’s surprising 2-5 defeat against host Atletico at the Metropolitano Stadium last Saturday.

However, Barcelona suffered their first loss this season after a late home defeat to French side Paris Saint-Germain 2-1, despite being ahead under coach Hansi Flick.

Flick admitted after the continental match that his team has not yet reached its best level, citing the need to improve defensive performance.

Barcelona conceded goals in their last two league matches against Real Oviedo (3-1) and Sociedad (2-1), but showed great resilience to overturn deficits, something that did not help against European champions PSG who scored the winning goal in the last minute of regular time.

After a shaky start with two consecutive losses, Sevilla has caught its breath somewhat, achieving three wins in the last five La Liga matches, including a recent 1-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano to move up to ninth place with 10 points.

Sevilla always relies on the Swiss Ruben Vargas, who has contributed to four goals this season (one goal and three assists), knowing that handing Barcelona their first La Liga defeat this season will not be easy for Argentine coach Matias Almida’s team, especially since history clearly favors the visitors who have won 117 out of 201 matches compared to 45 for the Andalusian club across all competitions.

Real Madrid Continues Healing Wounds

Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso hopes his team quickly forgets last week’s setback when they suffered a heavy defeat to neighbors Atletico who handed the Merengues their first league loss this season.

The royal club quickly regained momentum by thrashing Kazakhstan’s Kairat Almaty 5-0, including a hat-trick by their French star Kylian Mbappé who raised his goal tally to 13 in nine matches!

However, Mbappé’s effectiveness won’t be complete without securing the necessary balance in the team, especially in midfield and defense after conceding five goals against Atletico last week.

Real faces another tough test against Villarreal, who aspire to go far this season, currently sitting third in La Liga with 16 points from six wins and one loss.