Deportivo La Coruna vs Sevilla

Deportivo La Coruna vs Sevilla Preview

There’s something genuinely romantic about Deportivo La Coruna being back in La Liga. A club that won the title in 1999-2000, that knocked out Manchester United in the Champions League, that felt like a proper European giant for a few years before the wheels came off — they’ve been through the grinder since then, grinding their way back up through the second tier and finally returning to the top flight after finishing runners-up in the Segunda Division last season. Eight years away from the big stage, and now they’re back. Wednesday evening at the Riazor gives them a chance to show they belong.

Sitting sixth in the table with nine points from five matches, Deportivo have been quietly impressive. Three wins, two draws, and an unbeaten record that suggests Antonio Hidalgo has his side organised, motivated, and competitive. They’re not just happy to be here. Sevilla arrive in fifth, one point better off on ten, and with Champions League aspirations of their own after a disappointing 13th-place finish last season. Luis Garcia Plaza’s side have looked sharper this term, but they’ve also shipped six goals in five games, which gives the hosts something to aim at. This fixture has real stakes for both sides, and that tends to make for good football.

The atmosphere at the Riazor will be something else on Wednesday. A sold-out ground roaring behind a newly promoted side taking on one of Spain’s traditional powers — that counts for something. Deportivo need the points to keep pace with the top half of the table. Sevilla need to prove they can handle a tough away day and keep their early-season momentum rolling. One point each might end up feeling like a fair result, but neither side will be thinking that way before kick-off.

Deportivo La Coruna vs Sevilla Form

Deportivo’s recent form has been building nicely. They beat Valencia and Villarreal in back-to-back games before drawing with Getafe in their last outing, picking up seven points from those three fixtures. For a newly promoted side, taking points off Valencia and Villarreal is no small thing. Hidalgo’s team have shown they can compete with established La Liga outfits, and the draw against Getafe — rather than a defeat — suggests they’re disciplined enough not to collapse when things get tight. Nine points from five games is a solid return that would keep most top-flight managers satisfied, never mind one working with a squad fresh out of the second division.

The engine behind their attacking play has been Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who has been in remarkable form. Five goals and two assists in five appearances is a staggering return, and at this stage of the campaign he looks like one of the most dangerous strikers in the division. When you’ve got a player like that firing, it masks a lot of other things and gives you a platform to work from. Sevilla, meanwhile, beat Valencia 1-0 in their last match, with Juan Iglesias grabbing the winner late on. Three wins, one draw, one defeat tells you Garcia Plaza’s side are doing more right than wrong, but conceding six goals in five games is a concern that won’t have gone unnoticed at the training ground. They’ve been scoring freely enough, nine in five, but the defensive side of things needs tightening if they’re going to push for a top-four spot.

What stands out about both sides’ form is that neither looks like they’re going to roll over. Deportivo are unbeaten and creating chances. Sevilla are scoring goals but leaving gaps at the back. That combination suggests this game has goals in it somewhere, and with Aubameyang in the form of his life, the home side have every reason to feel confident about their chances of causing Sevilla problems.

Deportivo La Coruna vs Sevilla Head to Head

The head-to-head record tells a fairly one-sided story. Sevilla are unbeaten in their last 13 top-flight meetings with Deportivo, and the hosts haven’t actually beaten Los Nervionenses since January 2010 — over 16 years without a win in this fixture. That’s a long time. The most recent meeting between these two in La Liga was back in April 2018, and it finished 0-0, which is worth noting. A tight, cagey affair with very little to separate them, which probably reflects what you’d expect when a newly promoted side faces an established mid-table club. Neither team dominated, and the game finished level.

Given how long it’s been since these sides met at the top level, the head-to-head data has limited predictive value for this specific matchup. Rosters have changed completely, managers are different, and Deportivo have built a different kind of squad this time around. The 13-match unbeaten run for Sevilla in this fixture is a stat worth acknowledging, but it’s not something that’ll weigh on the Deportivo players — most of them have never been part of those meetings. If anything, the Riazor crowd will be hungry to change the narrative on Wednesday evening.

Deportivo La Coruna vs Sevilla Lineups

Hidalgo could name an unchanged side given the form his players have been in. Marc Casado and Jose Maria Gimenez are expected to feature, and Aubameyang leads the line as the main attacking threat. The one selection question worth watching is whether Yeremay Hernandez comes into the starting eleven after an impressive performance off the bench against Getafe. He looked lively when he came on and could push for a spot ahead of Bil Nsongo in the front line. If Hidalgo goes with Hernandez from the off, it gives Deportivo more creativity and directness alongside Aubameyang, which could be the key to unlocking Sevilla’s defence. The expected XI looks something like: Roman; Navarro, Noubi, Gimenez, Quagliata; Casado; Cruz Luismi, Amatucci, Soriano; Hernandez, Aubameyang.

For Sevilla, Ruben Vargas misses out through injury, but Arouna Sangante is available again after his suspension. Garcia Plaza is expected to freshen things up in the final third, with Robbie Ure and Chidera Ejuke potentially coming into the side. Ivan Romero should keep his place. The absence of Vargas is a real blow given he’s a key creative outlet, and asking Ejuke and Ure to step up in a difficult away fixture is a test of squad depth. The likely lineup: Vlachodimos; Iglesias, Castrin, Salas, Suazo; Agoume, Fofana; Sierra, Romero, Ejuke; Ure. Vlachodimos will need to be sharp if Aubameyang fires on all cylinders from the first whistle.

Deportivo La Coruna vs Sevilla Tactics

Deportivo under Hidalgo look organised and hard to break down, while also being a genuine threat on the counter and through direct play. The midfield three of Cruz Luismi, Amatucci, and Soriano is set up to be competitive and win the ball back quickly, with Casado shielding the back four. When they do get forward, they tend to do so with purpose, feeding Aubameyang early and letting his movement do the damage. They’re not going to sit deep and invite pressure for 90 minutes — they’ve shown they’re willing to press high and be aggressive, which has caught opponents off guard this season. That approach will suit the Riazor crowd and could rattle Sevilla early if the home side get going.

Sevilla will look to use the ball intelligently and exploit space on the transition. With Agoume and Fofana anchoring the midfield, they have decent protection at the back, but the front three of Sierra, Romero, and Ejuke needs to click into gear. Garcia Plaza’s side have been scoring goals, so they’re not lacking in attacking quality, but questions remain about how well they deal defensively when a team pushes them. Deportivo pressing high with Aubameyang leading from the front could create exactly the kind of chaos that forces Sevilla into errors. The key battleground will be in the central midfield areas — if Casado and company win that battle, Deportivo have the platform to frustrate Sevilla and hit them on the break.

Deportivo La Coruna vs Sevilla Prediction and Betting Tips

Deportivo are a hard team to beat right now, and they’re playing at home in front of a passionate crowd that’s waited years for nights like this. Aubameyang is in the form of his life. Sevilla are decent but have been leaky at the back and are missing Vargas. The head-to-head record favours the visitors, but this Deportivo side is different from the ones that went years without beating Sevilla. A draw feels like the most likely outcome — the hosts are good enough to hold their own, and Sevilla don’t look like the kind of side that’s going to sweep anyone away on the road right now.

The 1-1 Correct Score captures what this game looks like on paper. Aubameyang grabs one end, Sevilla nick one back through Romero or Ejuke, and both sides come away with a point. Deportivo stay unbeaten. Sevilla avoid a defeat on the road. Both sets of fans go home reasonably satisfied. Back the 1-1 in the Correct Score market.