Espanyol and Sevilla take centre stage in Saturday night's prime-time match in this weekend's Primera Division programme.

And while the meeting of Catalans and Andalusians in Barcelona may appear intriguing if not exactly mouth-watering, it sees the two clubs return to claim star billing together in a fixture for the first time since May of 2007.

Then, Espanyol and Sevilla went to battle in the UEFA Cup Final in Glasgow, with the latter edging out the former on penalties following an entertaining 2-2 draw.

Much has changed since then.

Both teams have tragically lost a player to a heart problem, with Antonio Puerta and Dani Jarque both sadly losing their lives.

Another, Sergio Sanchez, is currently out of action as doctors investigate a similar problem.

Like Puerta and Jarque before him, Sanchez is also a defender, and he will be only too aware of both cases, having moved from Espanyol to Sevilla only last summer.

On the pitch, the two teams have taken very different paths.

Although there was little to choose between the sides in Glasgow back in 2007, the two clubs have been poles apart in recent seasons.

While Espanyol have gone back to their previous role as perennial relegation candidates, Sevilla have consolidated themselves as Champions League regulars, despite the departure of Juande Ramos in late 2007.

Ramos won five trophies in a short spell, but his replacement, Manolo Jimenez, remains empty-handed in his third season in charge.

Jimenez is under pressure to produce and will have his first serious crack at silverware when Sevilla face Atletico Madrid in the final of the Copa del Rey later this season.

But Ramos raised the bar with a series of spectacular results and Sevilla fans were left disgusted by the club's Champions League exit at the hands of CSKA Moscow this week.

How Espanyol, where Ramos also coached briefly and unsuccessfully, would love to have such problems.

Paradoxically, however, the Catalans' hopes of a vital victory tomorrow night appear to lie on Sevilla's Champions League exit.

With the Andalusians down and out of Europe, Espanyol can hope to inflict more damage, says coach Mauricio Pochettino.

"When you are exited about a tournament and get knocked out, it is hard to pick yourself up - let's hope their exit affects them in terms of morale and fitness," he said.

Pochettino, a stylish central defender who enjoyed a distinguished career as a player and is considered to be one of Espanyol's finest ever, was the hero last season as he came in to rescue the club from relegation.

And things looked good earlier on this season as Espanyol went on an impressive seven-match unbeaten run, which included a gutsy goalless draw at Sevilla.

But there has been little joy on the road since then for Pochettino's side, with just one win all season away from Catalonia.

Last weekend's 4-1 defeat at Tenerife was probably his side's worst performance of the season and left them just five points above the drop zone.

But Pochettino was in positive mood ahead of tomorrow's game.

"We need to get back onto the right path and revert the image we projected last weekend," he said.

Joan Verdu is carrying an injury and misses out, along with longer-term absentees Ivan De La Pena, Ferran Corominas and David Garcia.

Frederic Kanoute and Renato are fit again for Sevilla, but Luis Fabiano misses out.

Jimenez, meanwhile, refused to reveal his plans for next year.

"My contract expires on June 30 - if the objectives are fulfilled, the president may have an idea and I may have another, and if it is the same, we will arrive at an agreement for one thing or another," he said.

"We need three points in order to fulfil those objectives."

One of those objectives is a return to the Champions League, while another will be to put their recent European exit behind them.

"The best tonic following a defeat is a victory," he said.

Sevilla remain on course for a Champions League return.

The Andalusians are currently fourth, a point clear of fifth-placed Sevilla.