Barcelona, the reigning La Liga champions, aim to consolidate their lead at the top of the table when they visit Sevilla on Sunday in the eighth round of La Liga.

This match follows a continental disappointment for the Catalan team. Meanwhile, Real Madrid seeks to heal its wounds and make up for its derby loss as it faces another tough test against Villarreal on Saturday.

Barcelona Seeks Balance After PSG Disappointment

The Catalan giant seized the top spot after beating Real Sociedad 2-1, taking advantage of Real Madrid’s loss to Atletico. However, the joy was short-lived as Barcelona suffered its first home defeat this season against Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 in the continental competition, despite taking the lead.

German coach Hans-Dieter Flick admitted his team has yet to reach its optimal level, emphasizing the urgent need to improve defensive performance, especially after conceding goals in the last two league matches.

Flick commented: “The whole team must defend, and the whole team must attack… we are training to get better.”

Flick understands that holding onto the top spot is the most important goal before the highly anticipated “El Clásico” on the 26th of this month.

Tough Task Against Sevilla

Sevilla has regained its breath after a shaky start, achieving three wins in the last five matches to climb to ninth place. The Andalusian team relies on the brilliance of its Swiss star Robin Vargas.

Despite Sevilla regaining some balance, history clearly favors Barcelona, making handing the first defeat to the titleholder in La Liga a difficult task for Sevilla’s Argentine coach Matias Almeyda.

Real Madrid Continues Healing Wounds and Faces Villarreal

Coach Xabi Alonso and Real Madrid players seek to forget last week’s setback when the team suffered a harsh defeat against Atletico, its first loss in the league this season.

The royal club quickly regained momentum by thrashing Kazakhstan’s Kairat Almaty 5-0 in the continental match, with French star Kylian Mbappé scoring a hat-trick to continue his scoring brilliance.

However, the biggest challenge lies in securing the required balance in midfield and defense after conceding five goals in the Madrid derby. Alonso expressed the need to build harmony, saying: “I think we are still in a building phase, a development phase… but we continue to progress step by step.”

Real Madrid faces another tough test against Villarreal, who currently sit third with 16 points, aiming to strengthen their ambitions in this season’s competition.