Guillem Balague looks at how Jorge Sampaoli and Samir Nasri are transforming Sevilla ahead of Sundays clash with Barcelona live on Sky Sports. USWNT Pro Shop . Sevilla have been one of the stories of the season in La Liga. They sit three points off the top of the table having only lost one of their first 10 games, and on Sunday they can jump above second-placed Barcelona if they beat Luis Enriques men at the Sanchez Pizjuan stadium. Sevilla vs Barcelona November 6, 2016, 7:30pm Live on Get Sky Sports Get a Sky Sports pass They can approach the game with confidence. Sevilla lost their three-time Europa League-winning manager Unai Emery to Paris Saint-Germain in the summer, but their strong start under Jorge Sampaoli has fuelled talk that they are dark horses in the title race. So whats changed? Well, 11 new signings have certainly helped, and Sampaolis high-intensity, attacking playing style has also proved a good fit for a side who already played aggressively under Emery. The big difference, however, is that Sampaoli wants them to dominate the ball, too. Sevilla are playing possess-based football under Jorge Sampaoli The stats show its working. Their numbers for possession, short passes per game and passing accuracy have risen sharply from last season. In fact, Barcelona are the only team in La Liga to have averaged more possession.The key for us is to build our own identity, said Sampaoli earlier this season. We cannot play scared, so we must seek to dominate the game and think about our rivals goal.Sampaoli encourages his players to be brave with the ball, and its having a positive effect. Sevilla are playing slick, passing football, and on-loan Manchester City midfielder Samir Nasri has been at the heart of it. Sevillas Samir Nasri in action during their 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid Nasri is performing and showing how good he is, said Sampaoli last month. He is a player at the height of his game, and he is getting us through matches.With his sharp passing, positional flexibility and clever movement, Nasri typifies what Sampaoli wants from his players. The former Chile manager is also changing things up in a tactical sense. Incredibly, Sevilla have used eight different formations in just 10 La Liga games this season. That level of tactical flexibility is unrivalled in the division, and their unpredictability makes them difficult to defend against. According to Opta, Sevilla have used more formations than any other La Liga side The likes of Steven NZonzi, Vitolo and Franco Vazquez have impressed, but Nasri is perhaps the most important player when it comes to making the system work. From defensive midfield to left wing, the Frenchman has already lined up in four different positions this season, and he has excelled in every one. The bad news for Sevilla is that Nasri is a doubt for the Barcelona game after sustaining a hamstring injury last week. His absence would be a big blow, and the stats show why. Nasris intelligent distribution is vital for Sevillas possession-game - his passing accuracy is the highest at the club - and his dribbling ability is important when it comes to keeping the ball in tight spaces. The numbers behind Samir Nasris impressive start to the season Hes a goal threat, too. Nasri scored his first goal for Sevilla against Athletic Bilbao, and he added to his tally against Leganes. There was also an important strike against Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League.Without Nasri, Sampaoli and his trusty assistant Juanma Lillo would have to find new solutions. Barcelona will provide a big test of their credentials, but Sevilla have shown it would be foolish to write them off. Also See: Barca play down Suarez-Utd link Ballon dOr nominees on Sky USWNT Jerseys 2021 . -- The Washington Redskins coaching staff distanced itself from other coaches Thursday by siding with ownership -- and not the players -- in the NFLs labour dispute. USWNT Jerseys 2020 . -- Alex Anthopoulos spoke volumes with what he didnt say on right-hander Ervin Santana. https://www.cheapuswnt.com/ . Harris has played in six games since joining the Argos in 2012, completing 17-of-35 passes for 256 yards and one touchdown.OTTAWA -- Canadian athletes keep racking up medals at the Sochi Olympics, and now more money is coming their way to keep them on the podium. Finance Minister Jim Flahertys latest budget -- released Tuesday while many Canadians were likely more interested on the Winter Games -- includes a $23-million annual boost in sports funding, starting next year. Of that, $11 million will be set aside for winter sports through Own the Podium, a not-for-profit group created to boost Canadas Olympic performances. The goal of Own the Podium is to prioritize funding on the Olympic and Paralympic sports in which Canada has the best shot at winning medals. It was born from the countrys crushing disappointment at failing to win gold medals on home turf at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal and then again at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. Canada went on to win a record 14 gold medals at the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver and a total of 18 medals at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. The Canadian Olympic Committees goal for the Sochi Games is to improve on Vancouvers medal haul and finish at the top of the table for overall medals. So far, Canada has four more medals than at this point at the 2010 Games. On Tuesday,, Canada trailed only Norway in the standings. USWNT Gear. Freestyle skier Dara Howell won Canadas fourth gold of the Sochi Games in the womens slopestyle event, while her teammate Kim Lamarre won the bronze. That brought Canadas medal count to nine -- four gold, three silver and two bronze. Only Norway, with 11 medals, has won more medals in Sochi. The rest of the $23 million in Flahertys budget will be divvied up between team sports, the Canadian Paralympic Committee and Special Olympics Canada. In addition to that money, Special Olympics Canada is getting another $10.8-million spread over four years. "All Canadians are cheering on our Canadian athletes and coaches and celebrating their outstanding accomplishments at the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Sochi, Russia," the budget says. Also included in the budget is a measure aimed at retirement savings for amateur athletes. The measure would allow any income amateur athletes contributes to a trust to count as earned income for the purpose of determining their annual RRSP limit. Right now, any income contributed to an amateur athlete trust doesnt count as earned income, which limits the amount they can contribute to an RRSP. ' ' '