ALAVES 0- SEVILLE 0 | Sevilla gets stuck in Vitoria

José Luis Mendilibar said in the preview that playing on Friday means “spending a weekend of absolute happiness if you win or in a dark room if you lose”. In the end, neither one thing nor the other before a Seville that has had an imperial season but that gave an earthly version in a Mendizorroza on fire.

Alavés faced the penultimate match in the standings, with 21 points, and Mendilibar decided to bet on Escalante, Moya and Pere Pons in the trivote, betting again on 4-1-4-1 instead of recovering his emblematic 4-4- two. Upstairs, only Joselu remained, so Manu Vallejo was back on the bench. Edgar repeated to the detriment of Jason Remeseiro.

Sevilla, second, planted in Vitoria with eight sensitive casualties and the desire to approach Real Madrid. His references above were scary: Ocampos, Tecatito and En-Nesyri. The accumulation of matches and the tension of the derby could take its toll on Lopetegui’s team. But there is plenty of talent and he showed it throughout the Mendizorroza game.

More than 13,000 fans on the day of the return of 100% capacity, with signs of rejection of the war in Ukraine and tribute to ALS patients. Rodrigo, a 25-year-old boy who has suffered from it since 2020, was the honoree and those responsible for the ADELA organization in Vitoria carried out the kick-off between Laguardia and Navas.

The clash began with rain and with a more overturned Alavés. In fact, he played better than his opponent in the first half hour of the match because he was hungrier. His first approach came at 40 seconds. In the 5th minute of the match, Alberola annulled a goal against Sevilla for offside. Rioja in minute 13, with a left foot, and Pons in minute 18, crossing too much, alerted the Andalusian team.

Bono and his defenders played tiki taka with rondo passes and risking the ball out of his team and they had a scare. Moya and Escalante were able to put the home team ahead but, in the last 15 minutes of the first half, Sevilla began to give serious warning with a couple of shots from Gudelj and Ocampos. Acuña was very active for his band.

As soon as the second half started, Edgar was about to score and Pons went to the ground inside the area but the play was invalidated for offside. Minutes later, Ocampos forgave again with a shot too crossed. The game continued along the same lines with the stands in a state of boiling. Sevilla was very imprecise and the ball did not last at all. But Glorioso It lacks punch and it was clearly noticeable.

Ocampos, omnipresent in Sevilla’s attack, forced Pacheco to make a good save in the 56th minute. Minutes later it was Joselu who hooked a good header that went wide. Then Pere Pons had a very clear but it is clear that the Catalan is at odds with the goal. As the match progressed, Sevilla began to advance lines and, with the entrances of Mir and Torres, they tried to bring danger to Pacheco’s goal.

Mendilibar did not move the bench until the 72nd minute with the entry of Manu García Alonso, a player with great judgment on the ball. He entered the field of play for a Pons who already had a yellow card and who does not usually hide in the entrances. Rioja almost messed it up in minute 81 with a shot that went close to Bono’s squad. It seemed that it was going to end in the clouds but it was falling in a dangerous way and, for little, it was not 1-0.

Koundé made a great offensive progression in the 88th minute and was about to provoke the visitor’s goal, but Glorioso’s defense knew how to get a very dangerous ball out of the area. In the end, distribution of points between a hungry Alavés but with little punch and a Sevilla saturated with commitments and tensions of the first level in several competitions during a sensational season for them.