SALZBURG 1 – SEVILLE 0 I Disappointment already for the Seventh

Sevilla culminated a disappointing Champions League appearance by falling in Salzburg and finishing third in group G, one of those that a priori seemed more biscuits when the draw was held, back in the month of August. The casualties and fatigue, the obvious impotence during a large part of the stake against a rival full of almost beardless footballers, were stronger than the European experience of the Nervionense team, who temporized in the first half and did hara-kiri in the second half. The obvious sports failure is added in these times of pandemic an economic problem for the Nervión club, which had budgeted between 15 and 20 million more income in the first European competition, money whose absence he will have to cushion with the consolation of having qualified at least for his fetish competition. Lille, at the end of the group, helped out by beating Wolfsburg and, from February, Sevilla will play the Europa League round of 32. Bettors were already starting last night to make him a favorite, six titles (the last, in 2020) endorse it.

A Seville that reached this final full of injuries, on the tires, with just 17 professional players to configure their call. With nothing. Thus, Lopetegui was surprising, but less so, with the inclusion of Munir El-Haddadi at the forefront of the attack instead of the more usual Rafa Mir. The Moroccan striker had already started against Wolfsburg on the previous day. Munir practically did not smell it during the first half that both Salzburg, which was worth the draw, and Sevilla played tran-tran, with touch and intensity but without depth and above all without scoring chances that deserve that qualification. A distant but deflected shot from Sucic, another from Rakitic that Kohn stopped and a high header from Koundé, who arrived at half-time disguised as the most dangerous footballer of the Nervionenses due to his increases from set pieces.

All the things that did not happen in the first half happened in the second. And all bad for Sevilla. In minute 48 Munir sent the Austrian crossbar a frank header, it seemed easier to get the ball into the goal. In the 50th minute, Montiel’s bad output of the ball was converted by the very fast Adeyemi on a death pass for Okafor to shoot Bono from the heart of the area (1-0). And in 66 ‘Joan Jordán certified the disaster by committing a youth error that cost him a second yellow and the consequent expulsion. The Catalan had missed another promising counterattack led by Adeyemi for Salzburg.

Between yellow cards, some other orange entry from the rival, a barrage of sterile changes for Lopetegui and the logical anger of being eliminated, Sevilla died with some pride but almost unable to approach the goal at least the tie, under the alibi that yes of its numerical inferiority. The coffers suffer and sevillismo gets angry, used in recent times to go to the second round almost every time they played the Champions League. In a few days the annoyance will pass, for sure. The Europa League is here, whose final this season is celebrated at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán. A por la Séptima, Seville.