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대한민국 - Soon
Football has those twists of fate that make it so great. On the afternoon when Jesús Navas stepped onto the pitch for the last time as a Sevilla player, a new generation of academy graduates helped clinch three points in his honour. Three important players were missing through suspension, but the dressing room knew that they could not fail and pulled off a game with many twists and turns. It fell to Sevilla's own, Manu Bueno, to decide the game as his shot against the post proving too much for Vicente Guaita to stop. It was a hard fought game until the end, when Navas had already left the pitch to a standing ovation, but Sevilla FC picked up three vital points in the last home game of the year to continue climbing the table.
The emotional element worked against us in the first few minutes. After the ovation for Navas, Celta came out more determined and had the first chance with a shot from Pablo Durán hitting the side netting before the first quarter of an hour had passed. Lukebakio responded with a stinging shot from the edge of the area, but the Galicians were continuing to play with a fluidity. In goal, Álvaro Ferllo had to work hard at the start of the game, with Mingueza's deadly cross from the right being turned behind for a corner. In the same sequence of play, Iago Aspas's corner found the head of Durán, who hit the post in what was Celta's clearest chance of the first half. At the midway point of the half, things became more even, although our only real chance at goal came from Saúl's powerful shot from the edge of the area, which Guaita was alert enough to clear.
We improved in the second half and Manu Bueno was rewarded with his third shot on goal
After the break, Xavi García Pimienta made some changes to give a first team debut to Álvaro García Pascual, who came on with a lot of determination and provided some mobility. Little by little, the team improved and bore fruit with a long-range shot from Manu Bueno that grazed the top corner of the net. As we began winning the ball back more in the opponents' half, the fans became more animated and helped us win back more momentum. Saúl had another chance from a corner and Manu Bueno was still in the attacking mood, until he found his reward at the next corner. Although his shot didn't have lots of power, it was placed perfectly into the right-hand post, taking a slight deflection but ultimately ended up in the net. In the 75th minute, Jesus Navas exited the pitch of the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán for the final time. Referee Gil Manzano pausing the match to give time for his team-mates, opponents and the entire crowd to pay their respects as he passed the captain's armband to Nemanja Gudelj.
Yet Celta did not relent, and their best spell came in the final 15 minutes, and side who were going all out and even had a goal disallowed by Jonathan Bamba for offside after an incredible save by Ferllo. Lukebakio could have scored earlier with a shot that crashed into the side netting and even Idumbo, who tried from long range and came very close. Despite the lengthy period of stoppage time after Jesus Navas' extended substitution, but the victory did not slip away and the fans bid farewell to the Sánchez-Pizjuán until 2025 with a huge smile on their faces. However, they will have one last opportunity after next weekend's trip to face Real Madrid to say goodbye to Jesús Navas on what will be a very special evening on 30 December.