Setién could not get his first great victory as coach of Barça in Seville either. Since coming to the Barça bench in January, he has not been able to handle the big games and, despite managing it better than other days at Sánchez Pizjuán, he was unable to fly back to Barcelona with the three points. With Setién, Barça have not won in any great field. He lost 2-0 at Mestalla with a devilish game system that a team like Valencia, fragile this season, knew how to penalize; crashed in the Cup in San Mamés (1-0); it diluted like a sugar bowl in the second half of the Clásico (2-0) and did not go beyond a draw with a disappointing game in Naples (1-1) and last night in Nervión.
Setien's results contrast with those of his predecessor, Ernesto Valverde, who achieved something very difficult. Txingurri won up to three times at the Bernabéu: 0-3 the first year and 0-1 (League) and 0-3 in the Cup. But also, Valça's Barça won at Sánchez Pizjuán, San Mamés or Wanda this same season (0-1). In Europe, Valverde suffered two great defeats that marked his career (Rome and Liverpool), but he also won Old Trafford, Wembley (at Tottenham) or Giusseppe Meazza. Results that contrast with those of the Cantabrian coach, who is resisted by great scenarios.
Tactically, however, Setién raised a good match. Surely the best one he has drawn away from home. He was deep on the sidelines with Semedo and Sergi Roberto; and he found in Rakitic a good solution to the loss of De Jong and in Suárez the pepper that was needed in the Barca attack. He handled Sevilla's transitions well for many minutes and, as he explained at the end of the game, he managed the changes with the intention of not disrupting the team. Removing the chances of Ocampos and Reguilón, he succeeded and died in the rival area, without success.
Setién is complicated by LaLiga and, with it, its continuity. The Cantabrian knows better than anyone that if he did not win any title, Bartomeu would consider a change even if the contract ends in 2021 (with an option to 2022) and that the market does not offer him many possibilities.