1-1: A DRAW AGAINST MONACO AS FOOTBALL RETURNS TO THE RAMÓN SÁNCHEZ PIZJUÁN

Almost a month after the cup tie against Velarde, Sevilla FC returned to competition, albeit in a friendly match. Jorge Sampaoli's men were held to a draw by AS Monaco in a game in which the result was undoubtedly the least important aspect. After a first half that was full of chances and saw Ben Yedder reunited with his former fans, the second half saw a much-revitalised visitors take the lead through Martins on the hour mark.

Immediately afterwards, Sampaoli made wholesale changes by bringing his first team players off - with the exception of Dmitrovic and Januzaj - and introduced nine members of the reserve team in one go. Not only did the youngsters not disappoint, but Pedro Ortiz scored the equaliser with 15 minutes to go with a spectacular lob.

The Sevilla side who braved the miserable weather in Seville enjoyed a lively first half, with Fernando taking central stage, now fully recovered, and with the first World Cup player back in the starting eleven and in goal, Marko Dmitrovic. With many asterisks, as it was the first test after weeks without football and with many absentees, Sevilla were more determined to go for goal, a typical Sampaoli style of play. They were also unafraid to try from distance, as Suso did after just two minutes. But Monaco are one of the big guns in Ligue 1 and they were quick to respond, with Aguilar's shot, when clean through, going just over the crossbar.

In the middle of the first half, when things perhaps calmed down, Sevilla wanted to build and had more of the ball, but only managed to cause concern with a shot on the turn from Óliver after a quarter of an hour and a header from Mir at the far post. In both cases, the visiting goalkeeper Nubel made the most of his wingspan to deny the danger.

It was in the last ten minutes before the break that the score came in danger of going one way or the other. Dmitrovic was the star of the show in two almost consecutive saves, firstly saving a shot from Golovin, which was going in until Fernando appeared under the sticks to send it out for a corner. Just after that it was the Serbian goalkeeper who sent the ball to the flag after blocking Ben Yedder's low drive with his foot.

The former Sevilla man did get a sight of goal just before half-time when Golovin intercepted Dmitrovic's pass, but his quality finish to send the ball into the net was ruled out for offside. Monaco looked to have deserved the goal more than Sevilla, but in the final minute it was Suso who erased that feeling in one fell swoop. He did so with an incisive shot from the edge of the area that ended with the ball crashing against the base of the post. It was a clear opportunity for Sevilla to end the first half. 

The second half started alightly quieter, with Monaco keeping only their two full-backs in the starting eleven and completely overhauling the rest of the squad. In contrast to the many close calls at half-time, the first action in the box was again for Dmitrovic to pick the ball out of his own net on the hour mark. A poor defensive display with the whole team up front and a quick turnover by Lemarechal, who, after rounding the Serbian goalkeeper, saw Martins arrive to make it 0-1.

By then, up to nine players from the reserve team were ready to make way for a very different last half hour, in which Sampaoli wanted to see the players from Sevilla Atlético -reinforced by Januzaj and Dmitrovic- playing against a big rival. It was a complicated situation for the home-grown players, who nevertheless came out wanting to please. Good showings from Carlos Álvarez and Johansson and a great goal from Pedro Ortiz from almost the centre circle, after overtaking his team-mate and seeing Lienard in front of him to execute a brilliant lob. Equality and a lack of chances dominated the final stretch of this first friendly of the week, which on Sunday will be continued with the match agains Benfica in Faro.