Sevilla FC will look to continue its strong start when it takes on Estoril in the first match of the Europa League on Thursday.
The Spanish side has had a hard time compiling wins in its domestic league, but the lack of victories after four matches has not been the result of poor play, but simply a poor schedule. The team opened at home on Aug. 18 and was taken down by a rejuvenated Atletico Madrid side that took home a 3-1 victory. In its second week, Sevilla was held scoreless by a stubborn Levante side. The team then had to battle an equally difficult Malaga team in a match that ended 2-2. However, the most crippling loss came on Saturday when Sevilla outplayed Barcelona for most of the game at the Camp Nou, but a combination of a disallowed Sevilla goal and some Lionel Messi magic in the waning seconds saw Sevilla lose 3-2; the team actually came back from a 2-0 deficit in the final 10 minutes but was unable to find the winner or avoid the losing goal.
Sevilla will face a rather impressive Portuguese side that has two wins in four matches. The team's latest match was a 3-2 loss against Braga that featured a 1-0 Estoril lead but three straight Braga goals.
Prediction: Sevilla will face a tough challenge on the road but is the clear favorite to take home the win. Expect a 2-1 Sevilla win.
Start Time: 3:05 p.m. EST
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