All three previous meetings between the sides this season have been settled by one goal and a similarly nervy contest is expected in the final today. PHOTO: REUTERS
Another successful campaign for both sides will end as it began after Barca edged Sevilla 5-4 after extra-time in a thrilling season-opening European Super Cup final.
Indeed, Barca could end the season with four trophies in total having also claimed the Club World Cup in December.
Barca captain Andres Iniesta laughed off suggestions that a La Liga and Cup double is the minimum requirement for the Catalan giants to ease the pain of their Champions League exit to Atletico Madrid at the quarter-final stage last month.
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However, the Spanish international did admit Barca’s success of winning six La Liga titles and three Copas del Rey in the past eight years has provoked a relentless demand for more trophies.
“When you win a league it’s impossible for it to be a bad season. It will always be a good season,” said Iniesta. “This team always has the obligation to win in a final. We fight for all the titles each season; sometimes we win and other times we don’t, but the obligation to win is permanent.”
Sevilla appear to have the significant disadvantage of having beaten Liverpool in the Europa League final just five days before facing Barca at Atletico Madrid’s Vicente Calderon.
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By contrast, Luis Enrique’s men have had a free week since Luis Suarez’s hat-trick in a 3-0 win at Granada retained their league title.
Enrique insisted he expects to win, but warned that Sevilla’s experience in finals could pose Barca problems.
“I am an optimist, I think we are going to win,” he said. “Sevilla have brilliantly won the Europa League final again and they have the chance to do the double too which is very important for a team like Sevilla. They keep winning titles. With us they are one of the teams most used to playing finals and that will make tomorrow a very attractive match.”
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All three previous meetings between the sides this season have been settled by one goal as Sevilla won 2-1 at home in October in La Liga before Barca claimed victory by the same scoreline at the Camp Nou in February.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 22nd, 2016.
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