Sevilla go into Sunday’s visit to Espanyol with a familiar sort of question for a coach in early-season form: whether to change a winning-looking team that has already shown it can compete. Luis García Plaza has Youssouf Fofana, Félix Correia and Lucas Stassin available as possible options for the trip to the RCDE Stadium, with the match set for 21 hours.
The context is straightforward enough. Sevilla have six points from nine possible in the 2025-26 season, after beating Rayo Vallecano 2-1 in their first league match, then Athletic de Bilbao 3-1 in their second. Their run was checked by a 1-3 defeat to Atlético de Madrid in the previous round, but there is still enough momentum to suggest this is a side moving in the right direction.
Espanyol, meanwhile, arrive looking for a reset after two straight defeats. They lost 1-2 to Real Madrid and then 2-1 to Real Sociedad before welcoming Sevilla on Sunday, and that makes this an early test of how quickly they can stop the slide. It is also why the fixture feels like a meeting between teams at a similar level, even if the recent results have taken slightly different paths.
Possible changes for Sevilla
The main point for Sevilla is the availability of Fofana, Correia and Stassin. That gives Luis García Plaza more room to adjust his line-up, either by refreshing the side or by keeping faith with the players who have already delivered six points from a possible nine.
That balance matters. Sevilla have shown they can score goals in this opening spell, but the defeat to Atlético de Madrid was a reminder that the level rises quickly when the opposition is more demanding. Having options available now gives the coach a chance to decide whether this is the moment for continuity or the moment for a subtle change in approach.
Espanyol need a response
For Espanyol, the pressure is more about stopping the sequence than chasing any grand statement. Two defeats in a row do not define a season, but they do sharpen the importance of the next match, especially at home.
Against a Sevilla side carrying six points and a clearer sense of rhythm, Espanyol will need to be more secure and more clinical than they were in defeats to Real Madrid and Real Sociedad. The setting, the timing and the recent results all point to a game where small details could matter more than big declarations.
What comes next is simple: Sevilla will see whether their available options can improve the starting shape, while Espanyol will try to turn Sunday night at the RCDE Stadium into the point where their season begins to settle again.
