Man, putting together a proper lineup prediction is never easy, especially in La Liga where coaches seem to spin a wheel before naming the starting eleven. I spent the last three days elbow-deep in spreadsheets and grainy training footage just to feel like I was close to cracking the code for this U. D. Las Palmas versus Sevilla match.
Kicking Off: Why This Game Was a Headache
You might think, “It’s just Las Palmas and Sevilla, what’s the big deal?” But that’s the trick. Both teams are in that messy middle-ground right now. Las Palmas relies heavily on structure, but the coach, García Pimienta, has been rotating key defenders to manage minutes. Sevilla, under Quique Sánchez Flores, is a total wildcard. Flores changes formation like I change socks. I knew if I just looked at the last game, I’d be wrong. I had to go deeper.
My entire process starts with the immediate context, and trust me, I don’t rely on some slick news site summarizing it. I grabbed my old notebook and started logging. I zeroed in on the mandatory injury and suspension lists. This is always step one because it immediately takes 4-5 players off the board and limits the possibilities. For Sevilla, the defense has been hammered, which already tells me Flores is forced into certain picks, regardless of his tactical preference.
- First Move: The Injury Sweep. I manually checked the club websites for official press releases, ignoring the fluff. Who is definitely out? This narrows the field significantly.
- Second Move: Press Conference Diving. I actually listened to Pimienta’s and Flores’s pre-match comments. Coaches rarely give away the XI, but they always drop little hints about player fitness or tactical challenges. You have to listen for the subtle complaints about workload or praise for a player who hasn’t started recently. That’s gold.
The Deep Dive: Mapping the Tactical Chaos
Once I knew who was available, the real grind began: figuring out the coaches’ tendencies. I spent about six hours just reviewing footage from the last four matches for both sides. I didn’t watch the whole games, that’s just inefficient. I fast-forwarded to three specific moments:
- The 0:00 mark (The starting formation).
- The halftime switch (If any tactical changes were made).
- The 60-75 minute substitution window (Who comes off first? Who plays the full 90?).
For Las Palmas, the pattern was clear: Pimienta loves the 4-3-3. The question wasn’t about formation; it was about the midfield engine. Kirian Rodriguez is vital, but who partners him? I mapped out his last 4 midfield trios and saw a definite pattern of alternating the deep-lying playmaker to maintain high press energy. That led me to believe one particular midfielder who got rested midweek was a sure starter.
Sevilla was a nightmare. Flores had used a 4-4-2, a 5-3-2, and a 3-4-3 in the last three weeks. I scraped together the minutes played for all his defenders. It looked like he was trying to force a stable back three but lacked the personnel continuity. I realized the only way to predict his lineup was to anticipate his reaction to Las Palmas’ pressing game, not his overall tactical philosophy. I went with the defensive lineup that offered the most stability, even if it meant benching a high-profile player.
The Synthesis: Filtering the Noise and Making the Tough Calls
After compiling my own data, I had a provisional Starting XI for both sides. Now came the crucial step: checking the external noise. I scoured social media and some of the Spanish sports forums where the local reporters sometimes leak tiny pieces of information. I treat those rumors like dirt, honestly, because most of it is fabricated, but I use it as a confirmation bias check. If three separate, unreliable sources are pointing toward the same rotational striker starting, maybe my data missed something about a training knock.
The hardest call for Las Palmas was striker—Munir El Haddadi or Marc Cardona? Both have been splitting time. I tracked their efficiency, not just goals, but successful pressures applied. Since Sevilla’s defense is shaky, I opted for the player with better off-the-ball work rate, figuring Pimienta would prioritize pressuring the back line into mistakes over pure goal-scoring instinct.
For Sevilla, the midfield selection was brutal. Sow and Óliver Torres are critical, but workload is an issue. I looked at the travel schedule and the intensity of their last match. I had to assume Flores would lean on experience here to manage the expected heat and pressure in the Canary Islands. I penciled in the older, more reliable option, even though the younger player might offer more flair.
It’s all about connecting the dots between injury logistics, coaching stubborness, and recent player fatigue. I finished up by constructing the final predicted 22, making sure my predicted formations perfectly countered each other. It was a stressful but satisfying process. Now we just wait and see if these coaches actually followed the logic I applied to their decisions.