Sevilla vs Chelsea: UEFA Champions League background, form guide, previous meetings

Sevilla and Chelsea meet in Andalusia with qualification for the round of 16 already secured and first place in Group E the next aim.

• The teams, who shared a goalless draw at Stamford Bridge on Matchday 1, are level on ten points and both sealed progress to the knockout phase with added-time winners that secured 2-1 away victories last time out. Chelsea substitute Olivier Giroud struck in the 91st minute to snatch all three points at Rennes; Sevilla left it even later at Krasnodar, Munir pouncing five minutes into stoppage time to ensure they would join their English rivals in the last 16.

• Should there be a winner on Matchday 5, they would also clinch first place in the section; a draw would delay the outcome until the final round of games.

Form guide
Sevilla

• The Spanish side opened Group E with that goalless draw at Chelsea before home wins against Rennes (1-0) and Krasnodar (3-2) and the success in Russia last time out.

• This is Sevilla's sixth UEFA Champions League group stage campaign, and a first since 2017/18, when they reached the quarter-finals. They have now qualified for the knockout phase in all but one of their participations.

• Julen Lopetegui's side won the UEFA Europa League in 2019/20, beating Internazionale 3-2 in the final. It was the club's record-extending sixth triumph in the UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League, all since 2006.

• Sevilla finished first in their UEFA Europa League group last season with 15 points having won all but one of their matches, then ousted CFR Cluj on away goals in the round of 32 (1-1 a, 0-0 h) before wins in one-off ties in Germany against Roma (2-0), Wolverhampton Wanderers (1-0), Manchester United (2-1) and Inter.

• Fourth in Spain in 2019/20, Sevilla won their section in each of their first two UEFA Champions League campaigns and, after finishing third in 2015/16 – when they went on to complete a hat-trick of UEFA Europa League wins – they have been group runners-up in their two most recent seasons in the competition, meaning this is the third successive campaign in which they have reached the round of 16.

• In September, Sevilla lost 2-1 after extra time to European champions Bayern München in the UEFA Super Cup in Budapest. It was their fifth defeat in the match in six appearances.

• The defeat by Bayern was just Sevilla's fifth loss in their last 34 European matches (W24 D5).

• Sevilla have won 19 of their 34 matches in the UEFA Champions League group stage, losing eight.

• The Andalusian side are unbeaten in 14 home European matches (W12 D2), since a 2-1 loss to Bayern in the 2017/18 quarter-final first leg – their last UEFA Champions League fixture at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán before Matchday 2.

• Sevilla have won both home UEFA Champions League matches this season having been without a victory in the previous three (D2 L1).

• Sevilla suffered their first, and only, home loss to English visitors when succumbing 3-1 to Manchester City in the 2015/16 UEFA Champions League group stage. They most recently drew 0-0 against Manchester United in the 2017/18 round of 16 (2-1 aggregate). The Andalusian club's record at home to English teams is W4 D2 L1.

• The Matchday 1 draw at Chelsea ended Sevilla's three-match run of victories against Premier League opponents. They have lost only one of their last ten games against English clubs (W5 D4) and remain unbeaten in their last seven (W3 D4).

• Sevilla have fared less well against English opposition in the UEFA Champions League group stage, however, winning one of their seven matches (D3 L3).

Chelsea
• Held at home by Sevilla on Matchday 1, the London club were 4-0 winners at Krasnodar in their next fixture before beating Rennes home (3-0) and away.

• Fourth in the Premier League in 2019/20, this is Chelsea's 17th venture into the UEFA Champions League group stage and a third in four years. The exception came in 2018/19, when they won the UEFA Europa League under Maurizio Sarri.

• Chelsea's last four UEFA Champions League campaigns have all ended in the round of 16. In 2019/20 they were heavily beaten home (0-3) and away (1-4) by eventual champions Bayern München at that stage. The loss in Munich is the London club's only defeat in 13 European away matches (W9 D3).

• Last season Frank Lampard's side recovered from a Matchday 1 defeat at home to Valencia (0-1) to progress as Group H runners-up with 11 points, finishing behind the Spanish side on head-to-head record.

• Despite their three victories this season, the Blues have won only four of their last nine UEFA Champions League matches (D3 L2).

• European champions in 2012 having been runners-up four years earlier, Chelsea have now reached the round of 16 on 15 occasions.

• The London side have won their UEFA Champions League group 11 times, although they have been runners-up in their section on each of their last two participations.

• Last season's home loss to Valencia was only the Blues' fourth defeat in their last 25 matches against Spanish opponents, home and away (W7 D14). They drew 2-2 at Valencia last season, making it one defeat in their last 12 matches away to Liga clubs (W3 D8).

• However, a 2-1 victory at Atlético de Madrid on Matchday 2 in 2017/18 is Chelsea's only success in their last 11 fixtures against Liga clubs, home and away (D6 L4).

Links and trivia
• Have played in Spain:
Kepa Arrizabalaga (Athletic Club 2004–18, Ponferradina 2015 loan, Valladolid 2015/16 loan)
César Azpilicueta (Osasuna 2007–10)
Marcos Alonso (Real Madrid 2010)
Mateo Kovačić (Real Madrid 2015–18)

• Have played in England:
Luuk de Jong (Newcastle 2014)
Suso (Liverpool 2012–15)
Fernando (Manchester City 2014–17)
Jesús Navas (Manchester City 2013–17)
Karim Rekik (Manchester City 2011–13, Portsmouth 2011/12 loan, Blackburn 2012/13 loan)

• International team-mates:
Ivan Rakitić & Mateo Kovačić (Croatia)
Yasine Bounou, Youssef En-Nesyri & Hakim Ziyech (Morocco)
Jesús Navas, Óscar Rodríguez & Kepa Arrizabalaga (Spain)

Latest news

Sevilla
• Sevilla's first game of the season was that extra-time defeat by Bayern München in the UEFA Super Cup on 24 September.

• Julen Lopetegui's side ended a three-match losing Liga run with a 1-0 home win against Osasuna on 7 November.

• Sevilla had only one victory in six games in all competitions (D2 L3) before Matchday 3, but have now won their last five fixtures, including Saturday's 1-0 Liga success at Huesca.

• Youssef En-Nesyri scored a late winner at the weekend and has now scored five goals in his last six Sevilla games in all competitions, as many as in his previous 26 matches.

• The 1-0 loss to Eibar on 24 October was Sevilla's first home defeat in all competitions since a 2-1 reverse against Villarreal on 15 December 2019, ending a 14-match unbeaten run at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán (W8 D6).

• A 1-0 defeat at Granada on 17 October ended Sevilla's 18-match unbeaten Liga run (W10 D8), and was their first loss since a 2-1 reverse at Celta Vigo on 9 February.

• Nemanja Gudelj played all 120 minutes as Serbia lost on penalties to Scotland in their UEFA EURO 2020 play-off final on 12 November, converting a spot kick in his side's 5-4 shoot-out defeat after a 1-1 draw in Belgrade.

• En-Nesyri scored in Morocco's 2-0 win against the Central African Republic in 2021 CAF Africa Cup of Nations qualifying on 17 November.

• Summer signing Oussama Idrissi made his Sevilla debut as a late substitute in a 4-2 home Liga win against Celta on 21 November having recovered from injury.

• Marcos Acuña had to be replaced shortly before half-time against Osasuna on 7 November due to a hamstring problem. He started against Celta but was replaced by Sergio Escudero in the first half and has not played since.

• Yassine Bounou (out sice 17 November, illness), Suso (unspecified), Sergio Escudero (elbow) and Carlos Fernández (illness) all missed the weekend win.

Chelsea
• Chelsea are unbeaten in 14 games in all competitions (W8 D6); they had won six successive matches before Sunday's goalless draw at home to Tottenham.

• The London club scored 18 goals in those six victories, conceding only two.

• Chelsea have won nine of their 16 fixtures in all competitions this season, losing only one – 2-0 at home to champions Liverpool in the Premier League on 20 September.

• Having managed Chelsea for 62 matches without a goalless draw, Frank Lampard oversaw two scoreless matches in succession – against Sevilla on Matchday 1 and at Manchester United in the Premier League. Sunday's draw with Spurs made it three stalemates in Chelsea's last nine fixtures.

• The Blues have scored 22 goals in their ten Premier League matches in 2020/21, and have managed three or more in nine of their last 16 league fixtures.

• Edouard Mendy kept clean sheets on his first three Premier League appearances for Chelsea, the first goalkeeper to do so since Petr Čech in 2004. He has kept eight clean sheets in his 11 Blues outings, David McGoldrick's ninth-minute goal for Sheffield United in Chelsea's 4-1 home win on 7 November ending his run of 556 minutes without conceding.

• Olivier Giroud is now seven goals behind France's record scorer Thierry Henry having taken his international tally to 44 with a double in France's 4-2 win at home to Sweden on 17 November, three days after club colleague N'Golo Kanté's goal secured a 1-0 win away to Portugal that booked the world champions' place at next year's UEFA Nations League Finals.

• Timo Werner scored twice, taking his tally to 15 international goals, as Germany defeated Ukraine 3-1 in the UEFA Nations League on 14 November at his former home ground in Leipzig.

• Jorginho's penalty helped Italy to a 2-0 UEFA Nations League win at home to Poland on 15 November; three days later, Jorginho and Emerson, who had also played 90 minutes against Poland, were in the team that won 2-0 in Bosnia and Herzegovina to book a Finals place.

• On 17 November, Mateo Kovačić scored his second and third international goals – and his first since June 2015 – as Croatia lost 3-2 at home to Portugal in the UEFA Nations League.

• On 13 November, Hakim Ziyech got two goals in Morocco's 4-1 CAF Africa Cup of Nations win against the Central African Republic and also opened the scoring in the subsequent 2-0 victory away to the same opponents four days later.

• Mason Mount scored England's second goal in a 4-0 UEFA Nations League win at home to Iceland on 18 November.

• Callum Hudson-Odoi was on target against both Andorra (3-1) and Albania (5-0) in qualifying for the 2021 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.

• Billy Gilmour, who had been sidelined by a knee injury since 9 July, returned as a substitute in Scotland's 2-2 draw at home to Croatia in 2021 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifying on 12 November, although he was sent off eight minutes after his introduction.

• Christian Pulišić came on as a late substitute in the 4-0 home win against Crystal Palace on 3 October, his first appearance since suffering a hamstring injury in the FA Cup final defeat by Arsenal on 1 August. The American went on to make five appearances, including Chelsea's first two Group E games, but then suffered another hamstring injury in the warm-up ahead of the 3-0 win at Burnley on 31 October. He returned as a second-half substitute on Sunday.