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#3 Julen Lopetegui's Sevilla might just be the next top Spanish team
Julen Lopetegui had a disastrous 2018. He was sacked by the Spanish federation just days before the start of the FIFA World Cup and then fired by Real Madrid as he lost the two biggest jobs of his career in the span of a few months.
However, last season, Sevilla offered the man a chance to redeem his career, and the Spanish coach has rewarded the Andalusians for their trust in him with an excellent first season that ended with a Europa League triumph.
This season, Lopetegui could be aiming higher still. His team began their season with a solid display against Bayern Munich in the UEFA Super Cup, taking the European champions to the wire, and then starting their La Liga campaign with two victories before nullifying Barcelona with another strong outing.
While Sevilla might not possess enough to threaten Barcelona and Real Madrid in the La Liga title race, it may not be impossible for them to challenge Atletico Madrid for the unofficial title of 'The Best of the Rest.
#2 Ronald Koeman fails to impress in his first big test at Barcelona
Although Sevilla aren't universally known as a top European side, the game against them could well be considered a real test for Ronald Koeman at Barcelona. After the easy routings of Villarreal and Celta Vigo, this one didn't go to plan for the Catalan giants.
Despite a quick start to the match, Barcelona faded away, failing to create enough scoring opportunities throughout the match. But the worst part could be the fact that the Dutch boss didn't seem too bothered with the situation as he kept making substitutions without changing the tactical scheme or the playing mentality.
The Barcelona faithful might forgive Koeman for his team's uninspiring performance against Sevilla. But the former Everton manager should be aware about the lack of patience at the Camp Nou and make sure that he makes the right adjustments in time for his next outing.
#1 Barcelona absolutely need to make new signings before the transfer window closes
We mentioned the coach's part above, now it's time for the administration. After watching Barcelona's match against Sevilla, it became crystal clear that the squad is lacking both in terms of quantity and quality.
With the Blaugrana needing to find the winner, Koeman's first two substitutions were youth products Pedri and Trincao. While the two youngsters didn't perform badly, they remain far from the finished articles who can be described as game-changing super-subs.
Thus, new signings are very quickly needed as the team is lacking in all departments. The club would do well to give Koeman two more of his compatriots in the form of Memphis Depay and Liverpool's Georginio Wijnaldum.
However, it remains to be seen if these two deals could be completed before the transfer window shuts on Monday night.
