Sevilla Hand Ander Guevara the Keys as Alavés Set Up Five-Man Wall

Sevilla begin life at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán with Ander Guevara in midfield and a 4-2-3-1 shape. Deportivo Alavés arrive with a 5-3-2 and a clear plan: five across the back, three screening, two up top.

The team sheets confirm the night's central problem. Sevilla have the ball. Alavés have the numbers.

Luis García has named Ander Guevara and Antonio Blanco as the two holders. Both are on zero goals this season, and neither is in the side to score. Their job is to move Sevilla up the pitch against a block that will not come out.

Guevara's role is the one to watch. In a 4-2-3-1, the double pivot must progress the ball through the middle third while the front four pin Alavés' back five. If Guevara and Blanco can find the half-spaces early, Sevilla can turn possession into touches in the box. If they cannot, the home side will spend the night passing sideways in front of a wall.

Félix Correia starts in the attacking line. He has zero goals this season, and against a five-man defence, his willingness to run behind matters more than his finishing record. Alavés will concede space in wide areas by design. Sevilla's wide players must decide whether to cross into a crowded box or cut back for the midfield runners.

Quique Sánchez Flores has set Alavés up in a 5-3-2. The shape is not a suggestion. Five defenders, three midfielders screening the space in front of them, and two forwards waiting for the counter.

Antonio Sivera starts in goal. Arouna Sangante is part of the back line tasked with keeping Sevilla's front four in front of them. The 5-3-2 gives Alavés a spare man at the back and a compact midfield three that can shift across to smother Guevara and Blanco.

The trade-off is familiar. Alavés will concede possession and territory. Their game is to keep the central lane closed, force Sevilla wide, and then break through the two strikers when the home side loses the ball in the final third. Sangante and Sivera will be busy. The question is whether Alavés' front two can make the most of the few chances that come their way.

Sevilla's 4-2-3-1 against Alavés' 5-3-2 is a test of patience. The home side have the ball. The away side have the block.

Guevara and Blanco must resist the urge to force passes through the middle. Alavés' three midfielders are there to intercept exactly those balls. The better route is wide, where Sevilla can create two-on-one situations against the wing-backs and then attack the back post.

Alavés will not change. Sivera will take his time on goal kicks. Sangante and his fellow defenders will drop deep. The front two will wait.

Sevilla's crowd will demand urgency. The shape says the opposite. The team that scores first will force the other to abandon its plan. Until then, the night belongs to the patient side.

Kick-off is at 8:00 PM UTC at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán.