Barça will take on Sevilla with their four new signings all fit and available as they look to start the season victorious

The 2018/19 season begins tonight. And it starts, as it traditionally does, with the Spanish Super Cup which will contested between Barcelona and Sevilla. This season it's a little different. It's being held in Tangier, Morocco and will be a one-off contest. 

Barcelona want to the start the season with a trophy but on the horizon is LaLiga, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League.

The match pits Barça, league and cup winners, against Sevilla, cup runners up. This is a game which won't be anything like the 5-0 victory Barcelona enjoyed over Sevilla in the Copa del Rey final.

NEW FACES

Both teams are much changed from that contest. Sevilla have a new coach in Pablo Machin as well as wholesale changes throughout the squad. Their objective for the upcoming season is to regain their place in the Champions League.

Something similar has happened with Barcelona. Ernesto Valverde's team has four new signings and all of them are available for tonight's match. The objective at the Camp Nou is to repeat the double winning heroics of last season but erase the painful memory of their Champions League exit. A disappointing elimination at the hands of Roma left it's mark on what was, ultimately, a successful maiden season for Valverde.

BARÇA WANT TO WIN THE QUADRUPLE

The Barcelona players are already thinking about the Champions League final at the Wanda Metropolitano. This is the main objective for Lionel Messi and company this season. That doesn't meant they've forgotten about the other titles in play.

For this reason it's important to get off a good start by winning the Spanish Super Cup. Last season, Barcelona suffered two defeats in the same competition against Real Madrid. This saw Valverde's appointment questioned before the league campaign has even begun, but he turned it around to claim a league and cup double.

This second year project of Valverde's has new faces and an important need to come flying out of the blocks. Iniesta has left the club and the coach has a gap which will be difficult to fill. The arrivals of Lenglet, Arthur, Vidal and Malcom increases the the strength of the squad and should allow them to compete on all fronts as they look to claim four trophies this year.

LACK OF PREPARATION

It'll be difficult for Barcelona to defeat Sevilla and not just because of the quality their opponents possess. Barça's handicap is their main stars have only just returned to training and have yet to play a single match in preseason.

Gerard Piqué, Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets, Leo Messi, Luis Suárez and Coutinho are all key members of Valverde's squad but none of them have played a minute yet after only being back in training for a week.

In this regard, Sevilla are much more prepared with three official matches under their belts.

Barcelona want to start the season by lifting their first piece of silverware and Sevilla are standing in the way of that becoming a reality.