Team Focus: Sevilla's Surprisingly Bright Start to Life After Rakitic

This summer it was the transfer of a certain Luis Suarez that stole the headlines early on in the transfer window. His arrival at Camp Nou was supplemented by the signing of Ivan Rakitic, with the Croatian's departure from Europa League victors Sevilla expected to hit Unai Emery's side hard.

In allowing their star performer from last season to leave, however, Sevilla were able to secure the services of youngster, and namesake of the aforementioned Uruguayan, Denis Suárez. While plenty of hopes have been placed on the 20-year-old playmaker's head at Barca since his arrival from Manchester City, Sevilla would be relying on a player that hadn't made a single senior league appearances to replace - in part at least - a man who earned WhoScored.com's fourth highest rating in La Liga from the 2013/14 campaign (7.61).

The fact that Sevilla sit third, with 10 points from 4 matches, suggests that Suárez, who has started every league match thus far, has made an encouraging start.

To date the loanee has registered 2 assists in his 4 league appearances and is averaging 2.3 key passes per game, with Sevilla's next best down at just 1 per game (Bacca). It's interesting that it was a similar case last season, with Rakitic's average of 2.3 key passes per game identical to Suarez's thus far, with Vitolo his closest counterpart on 1.4. The side are heavily reliant on one man to carry the creative burden, which is a considerable weight to carry for a player of Suárez's inexperience, but also highlights the faith that is being shown in him.

The similarities between Suárez and Rakitic's strengths according to WhoScored.com are alarming. Both are deemed 'very strong' in terms of key passes and taking set pieces and 'strong' when it comes to through balls. More often than not Rakitic was handed the licence to roam forward last season, safe in the knowledge that the graft of Vicente Iborra and Stephane Mbia would diminish the opposition's threat on the counter, and it's been a direct replacement in terms of Suárez's role.

The fact that the youngster has offered very little from a defensive viewpoint thus far - and considerably less than the workmanlike Rakitic last season - has made the need for defensive stability all the more important. Perhaps even more crucial then, has been the signing of Polish international Grzegorz Krychowiak from Reims, bolstering the midfield ranks along with Ever Banega.

The 24-year-old has been superb alongside Iborra thus far and has done the dirty work to allow Suarez the freedom the pull the strings in the final third. A snip at €4.5m, Krychowiak was Reims top rated player in each of their previous two seasons in Ligue 1 by a considerable margin, earning a rating of 7.28 in 2012/13 and 7.35 in the previous campaign. That after he'd played a significant role in the club's rise through the French ranks having starred on loan at the club as they secured promotion to Ligue 2 in 2009/10.

The Pole has taken to what most would consider to be a notable step up in class from Ligue 1 to La Liga with ease thus far. Krychowiak has come straight into the side, replacing Mbia's physicality and has the ability to dominate central areas both on the ground and in the air. Of the 18 aerial duels he's competed in this season the midfielder has won 15 (83.3%) - the fifth best success rate of the 95 Liga players to compete in 10 or more aerial duels after the weekend's fixtures.

He leads the team for tackles, with 3.3 per game, and has matched that figure when it comes to interceptions. Krychowiak's one downfall thus far has been the frequency with which he has conceded fouls, a direct consequence of his combative and energetic approach. Only two players have given away more free-kicks after the weekend's matches (14), though the hope is that this will improve as he gets up to speed with a new style of football - Krychowiak averaged less than half as many fouls per game last season (1.7).

With a marksman of Carlos Bacca's calibre to lead the line - the Colombian has netted 4 goals already this season - Sevilla's only real concern now will concern how they cope without their best defender from last season after Federico Fazio's late switch to Spurs in the window. Nevertheless, the early signs are that Emery's men can certainly compete in the upper reaches of the league once again, which many will have doubted given the sales of their stars in the summer. Wednesday's meeting with fellow European hopefuls Real Sociedad will be another test of their mettle but with only Granada having made more tackles and interceptions combined this season (165), Sevilla certainly aren't in short supply of that.

How impressed have you been with Sevilla's start to the season? Let us know in the comments below