Sampaoli urges Sevilla to take game to Barca

Sevilla coach Jorge Sampaoli will not be content to allow Barcelona their customary dominance of possession in Sunday’s first leg of the Supercopa de Espana.

Former Chile boss Sampaoli begins his tenure in charge of the Europa League holders after Unai Emery ended a superb spell at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan by joining Paris Saint-Germain.

And the 56-year-old pledged to take the game to Barca in the Spanish season’s traditional curtain-raiser.

“We must try to fight Barcelona’s possession and try to harm them. Tomorrow we still want to have the ball,” the Copa America winner said on Saturday.

“We will be challenge and neutralise such important players as Luis Suarez and Leo Messi. We must move the fans for them to respond.”

Seville centre-back Adil Rami is enjoying life under Sampaoli and is keen to take the positives from Tuesday’s 3-2 extra-time defeat to Real Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup.

“We have a very optimistic coach that likes to fight and believe,” the France centre-back said. “Tomorrow will show again that Sevilla play to win important things and that we believe in our game.

“It was difficult to accept defeat against Real Madrid but people talked more of our performance than the defeat, which makes me proud.”