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Suso, playing for Sevilla
Match reports

2-2: TWO POINTS DROPPED IN ADDED TIME

07/04/2023
Entradilla
After 90 minutes of enormous efficiency in play and accuracy, most of them with one less man, Celta equalized in the four minutes of added time and took an unlikely point from Nervión.
Cuerpo Superior

This season has been full of results where we have got the result that we deserve. Sevilla FC left two points out on the field today when it seemed almost impossible to do so. After going down to ten men with just nineteen minutes of the game played as Pape Gueye was sent off, the tenth for Sevilla this season and the 107th in 271 league games, Mendilibar's men were practical and went in front through En-Nesyri's header, who climbed above the opposition's defence to meet the cross.

After the break, a stunning left-footed strike from Acuña calmed the nerves in the stadium, but Miguel's goal in the 90th minute gave the away side hope, before Paciencia's header secured the draw. The red card shown to Acuña made Sevilla the team that has been shown the highest number of red cards, along with Elche, on eleven. Both he and Telles, who has picked up five yellow cards, will be unavailable for the clash at the Mestalla.

Mendilibar had already made it clear in the build-up that Celta were nothing like Cádiz, who we faced a week ago. Celta prefer to counter and use their pace, and so it is essential to not make errors nor give them space. This was seen quickly after a poor Sevilla corner saw Carles Pérez break, who looked to find Seferovic in the box, but Dmitrovic reacted quickly.

Pape Gueye had already been given a yellow card for putting his hand in the face of Tapia and soon after the quarter of an hour mark, he would receive his second yellow card in a controversial moment in the game. He accidentally stepped on Aspas as he won the ball back. Despite this, Sevilla stood strong against the initial waves of attack from the away side. The clearest opportunity for them was when Pérez played in a cross, which was left by Aspas and came off Bade, almost going in. With Gudelj's help, the ball was played behind for a corner.

Despite being down to ten men for the majority of the match, En-Nesyri and Acuña put us in front and made the victory look inevitable

Sevilla struggled to make any real contact up front with En-Nesyri and their chances were based almost exclusively on runs down the left by Bryan Gil, who had to deal with the visitors' sturdy defence. But it was at this point that the set piece appeared, the one that equalises everything, to give a new twist to the script of the match. En-Nesyri took a corner kick from Suso and the Moroccan striker headed the ball into the net after breaking free of any possible opposition markers.

With two minutes to go before the break, Tapia responded in stoppage time with a half-volley that flew just wide of the post, but Sevilla were still able to achieve their mission of taking the lead into the interval in such adverse circumstances. Mendilibar made no changes at the break, either, beyond repositioning Suso in midfield, as the minutes ticked away and Celta's sterile dominance left the visitors in despair.

Four minutes sealed Sevilla's fate and two dropped points 

Carvalhal pulled out all the stops and brought on Larssen and the home-grown Miguel, but in a very credible move by Acuña, the Argentinian managed to steal and hit a shot from home, a shot that hit the post before Iván Villar could only stretch and lament. Nine minutes remained and Sevilla had no more changes, as first Óliver came on, then Montiel, and a final double change with Rafa Mir and Alex Telles. But when seasons come like this, even a 2-0 lead in extra time is not enough.

In a good attacking move from Vigo, Aspas stepped on it, Larssen opened it up and Miguel, from behind, put it past Dmitrovic at the post. Four minutes of suffering and a counter-attack in the third ended with Paciencia heading it into the top corner. There was even time for Acuña to be shown a straight red card for a protest and for Celta's last chance, which Dmitrovic was able to block.

Punto que por el guion del partido pudo en su momento ser positivo, pero que deja un regusto muy agrio al equipo, que ya se veía enlazando la segunda victoria consecutiva y dando un paso adelante muy importante en la tabla. Ahora se queda con 32 puntos y duerme cinco por encima del descenso, aunque no será hasta el domingo cuando se sepan las consecuencias clasificatorias reales de este convulso encuentro. Ahora toca el más difícil todavía, ir a Old Trafford el jueves para abrir los cuartos de la Europa League antes de visitar a otro rival directo como el Valencia CF.

A point that could have been positive at the time, but which leaves a very sour aftertaste for the team, who were already looking at a second consecutive win and taking a very important step forward in the table. They now have 32 points and sleep five points above the relegation zone, although it will not be until Sunday when the real consequences of this turbulent encounter will be known. Now it's time for the toughest one yet, going to Old Trafford on Thursday to open the Europa League quarter-finals before visiting another direct rival in Valencia CF.

Cuerpo Inferior

MATCH REPORT

2. SEVILLA FC: Dmitrovic, Jesús Navas, Badé, Gudelj, Acuña, Fernando, Pape Gueye, Suso (Montiel, 73'), Bryan Gil (Alex Telles 78'), Lamela (Óliver Torres, 61') y En-Nesyri (Rafa Mir, 78').

2. RC CELTA DE VIGO: Iván Villar, Hugo Mallo, Aidoo, Núñez, Javi Galán, Fran Beltrán (Óscar Rodríguez, min. 78), Tapia (Paciencia, 61'), Carles Pérez (Miguel, 78'), Cervi (De la Torre, 46'), Aspas y Seferovic (Swedberg, 77').

GOALS: 1-0, min 43: En-Nesyri; 2-0, min 81: Acuña; 2-1, min 90: Miguel; 2-2, min 90+3: Paciencia.

REFEREE: Valentín Pizarro Gómez, from the Madrid team. Double yellow for Pape Gueye (min. 19) and a straight red card for Acuña (min. 90+4). Yellow cards for Carles Pérez, Cervi, Jesús Navas, Alex Telles and Montiel.