The first fixture of the Champions League group stage doesn’t hold many big rivalries, but there’s a reason why Spanish side Sevilla believe their rivals will have a special motivation against them.
It’s Liverpool who will welcome the La Liga club at Anfield Road on Wednesday, and the clubs will face each other for the first time since the 2016 Europa League final.
On that occasion, Sevilla beat Liverpool 3-1, and that’s why the club president Jose Castro believes the Premier League side will want ‘revenge’ against the Spaniards.
Speaking to the local press, Castro said: “Surely they will want revenge for the final of the Europa League. But we are in another game and the important thing is to be here knowing that we play in the Champions League for the third consecutive year.” (via AS)
Still, he praised the English club and claimed it’s great to have the first game against such a great side: “What better scenario to start? We are pleased to debut against a mythical team. We have a lot of experience, we are not rookies and see if we get a good result against a great team.”
Sevilla got to the group stage after knocking out Turkish side İstanbul Başakşehir in the playoffs, with a 2-1 away win followed by a 2-2 home draw. They are currently third in the Spanish league table, behind Real Sociedad and Barcelona.
