MADRID, 20 Jul. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Sevilla FC beat Independiente del Valle of Ecuador in a penalty shootout (4-1, after a 1-1 draw in 90 minutes) at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán, on the occasion of the 12th edition of the Antonio Puerta Trophy, which also served as the opening ceremony for the UEFA-CONMEBOL Club Challenge trophy.
For the tenth time, the Andalusian team raised the trophy that serves as a presentation to their public in preseason, in memory of Antonio Puerta, the left-handed diamond, who died in 2007. In addition, Sevilla was proclaimed champion of the pilot edition of this new international competition, the club challenge, between the champions of the UEFA Europa League and the Copa Conmebol Sudamericana.
The Sevilla coach, José Luis Mendilibar, formed a classic pre-season team on the pitch, with a lot of homegrown players and also starters. In addition, the signings Federico Gattoni and Adrià Pedrosa appeared before the Nervión stands, with a lot of rotation 24 hours after the second friendly of the summer against Ceuta.
After the tribute to Puerta, with the captains and the footballer’s son, the match began with Lautaro Díaz’s goal for the visitors after 10 minutes. The American team took possession of the ball and commanded for a large part of the first half, until the Andalusians found Suso’s verticality.
Sevilla continued to improve after the restart and got much closer to the goal. Mendilibar’s changes added more arrivals and the local insistence had its prize in the 91st minute with the 1-1 score by Pedro Ortiz. In the penalty shootout, the Sevilla players nailed their shots tightly, while Marko Dmitrovic became a giant under the sticks, stopping two Ecuadorians.