Sevilla have put both feet in the Europa League round of 16 despite losing by two goals against PSV, due to the fact that in the first leg they scored three goals.
Sevilla suffered much more than expected, perhaps even too much. Whilst they made it through the tie in the end, the feelings aren’t good. This Sevilla team is made of paper tissue. With minimal wetting or stretching it ends up giving in. It breaks down.
The good news is that they have qualified. The first leg was excellent. It influenced the second leg, which was full of absences in defense, and which looked bad in the last part of the game. Sevilla are clinging on to their European hopes. And when it starts with suffering, it tastes better. Because when you suffer, you can see on the horizon that you can also enjoy it.
Sevilla knew that they couldn’t give their opponents wings, that the 3-0 scoreline from the first leg had to disappear from their minds and that they had to fight for every ball with the intention of getting a win. Because football is full of knockout rounds that go wrong in an isolated play and end up being more complicated than desirable.
That’s why Sampaoli put out an eleven full of first-choice players, even with the injured En-Nesyri, who is making a great effort not to miss any of the competition, despite his muscular and ankle problems. Bono was a last-minute absentee. The plan did not change.
However, PSV soon realized that by combining inside they had no chance of catching Sevilla off guard, that they had to play much more direct, stretching the position of Guus Til, so that he was equal in height with Luuk de Jong and they could make a two-pronged attack
Sevilla had a bit more possession, moved the ball with sense, coming in especially down the right flank. The first attempt on the Dutch goal came from Alex Telles, with a good free-kick that went half a meter wide of the top corner. With Van Nistelrooy’s team in despair, unable to find a way to get a foothold on the Andalusians, the figure of Bryan Gil grew in the first half, with some noteworthy runs, although he lacked the finishing touch. The player from Barbate plays much more freely when he does not have so many defensive duties. En-Nesyri could have had the last chance of the half, when Acuna’s cross was saved by the goalkeeper. Sevilla were on the right track, but they needed to finish off the tie with a good second half. Just as serious.
A heart-stopping final period
The second period started with the game more open. Bryan Gil’s pass from the edge of the box to En-Nesyri, in a one-on-one from a tight angle, was cleared by the keeper. It was the clearest of the afternoon so far. Van Nistelrooy sent his team into the Sevilla area. The first corners were taken by PSV.
A loss of Fernando at the start ended with Luuk de Jong offside and showed that concentration could not be lost at any moment. On one of those side balls, Luuk de Jong headed dangerously over the bar. From a corner, another header from the giant Dutchman troubled the Sevilla defense.
Sevilla needed to calm down. And more than that they got into the back-and-forth football. Rakitic had Sevilla’s best chance with a shot against the crossbar from inside the area. That goal would have changed everything.
Sevilla held on for the last few minutes. Overwhelmed. On the edge. But all the suffering was enough to get them through to the last 16. Qualification achieved. Sevilla will wait today for a rival in the draw. Europe is the new illusion
