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AN OPPORTUNITY TO REBUILD THE SEVILLA FORTRESS

03/03/2018
In a 2018 that has started with uncharacteristic chaos at home - two losses, one last-minute draw and one close win in four league games - Sevilla have the perfect chance to re-assert dominance in Nervión against an Athletic Bilbao who have struggled on the road so far this season

The Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán needs to feel the euphoria of victory it is so used to this afternoon after a convincing win against Athletic Bilbao. With 1,003 La Liga wins in total (two-thirds of them coming at home), today isn't just about refinding winning ways in La Liga but showing that Nervión is still the fortress it has always been. With just one win in the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán in 2018 - one which saw Sergio Rico star as the difference maker throughout - Sevilla now need to forget the two losses and one unexpected draw; it's time to show that when you travel to Seville, you're lucky to escape with anything at all. 

The Nervionenses need to make the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán the fortress it has been for so long

The 74th Sevilla FC vs Athletic Club fixture (in our city) has been - as in the past - one of the footballing dates to look forward to in the La Liga Santander season and, as is customary, will demand a fine Sevillista performance not just on the pitch but from the stands as well. Generally speaking, the Basques have not enjoyed their travels to the Andalusian capital - with 44 losses, 10 wins and 19 draws in 73 league games. 

It's a pattern that has been maintained in the last two seasons. You have to go back to November 2011 to find a Basque triumph at the Sánchez-Pizjuán (1-2) with goals from Jesús Navas, Iraola and De Marcos. The five most recent clashes in the league, with the exception of one draw, have all seen Sevillista victories: the three most recent (2-0, 2-0 and 1-0) without conceding a single goal; March 2nd 2017 was the last, with Iborra scoring the winning goal. This Saturday you have to believe in rounding off a quadruple. 

Aduriz (8 goals), Raúl García and Williams (5 each) are the biggest threats to the Sevilla net

 

If the Biscayans are not usually at their best on visits to Nervion, this season their away clashes have not inspired confidence either. In 13 attempts Bilbao have only won three on the road (against Eibar, Levante and Betis). They've picked up six defeats and four draws along the way. Athletic are the side with most draws in the league (11) where Sevilla is the least (3). It's a record that leaves them with a negative (-2) goal difference. The Basques' biggest goal threat is still Aduriz (8 goals, 3 from the penalty spot); followed by Raúl García (5, 2 penalties) and Williams (another 5). The other goals have been dispersed between the team. Among them is Vesga, whose goal was enough to sink Sevilla in San Mamés (1-0) - a defeat that many Sevillistas would argue their side did not deserve. Bilbao will be out to break a strange spell of goals scored in fortunate circumstances - with five of their latest seven goals on the road coming from the penalty spot and the other two coming from own goals.

Sevilla will be out to prove that their 1-0 loss in San Mamés was as undeserved as it looked; Bilbao's struggles on the road are a promising sign

But Athletic's unpromising record on the road and must leave no room for complacency for a Nervionense side that can afford no slip-ups at all in its fight for European football. On the contary, Montella's men need to view the fixture as, yes, an opportunity, but above all else, a test of composure, mental strength and incisiveness. We have a fortress to rebuild. Time to get to work.