An injury-ravaged Sevilla travelled to Estadio de Mestalla for the late kickoff on Sunday in the clash that would be Valencia versus Sevilla, hoping to close the gap on league leaders Real Madrid to just two points. Mark Pulley reports
An injury-ravaged Sevilla travelled to Estadio de Mestalla for the late kickoff on Sunday, Valencia versus Sevilla, hoping to close the gap on league leaders Real Madrid to just two points. Valencia, meanwhile, were hoping to get all three points that they needed to leapfrog Villarreal into eighth place.
The bookmakers had Valencia versus Sevilla down as too close a game to call, with the opponents slight favourites before kickoff. But without their coach, Julen Lopetegui, who was showing signs of Covid, and six regular first-teamers, Valencia was hoping that they could prove the bookies wrong.
There were just over 26,000 fans in the stadium, all of whom fell silent before kick-off in memory of Cayetana and Vera, two girls who died in an accident in the town of Mislata over Christmas. Players and coaching staff also wore black armbands to show respect.
Valencia versus Sevilla: Kickoff
Valencia versus Sevilla promised so much to begin. Sevilla started brightly, pinning Valencia in their own half from the first whistle. And it didn’t take long for them to take the lead. In the 7th minute, Gonzalo Montiels found room on the right wing. He pinged a low cross through the corridor of uncertainty that had the backtracking Diakhaby in a panic.
Diakhaby knew that if he left the ball, Rafa Mir would have a tap-in at the back post. He had to do something. Unfortunately what he did was stick out his leg and divert the ball past Cillessen and into his own net. He was damned if he did and damned if he didn’t. The quality of the cross had left him hopeless. 1-0 Sevilla.
Valencia thought they’d equalised in the 14th minute through José Gayà. His brilliant lob, beautifully executed on the volley, was rightly disallowed for offside. Which was a real shame, it was a great finish, but no one remembers disallowed goals. Would anyone be up for a DVD of The Greatest Disallowed Goals? It seems unlikely.
Not quite Thierry Henry
Keeper Cillessen had to be subbed after just 18 minutes, a muscle injury ending his game. Jaume Doménech came on to replace him. He was helpless when Rafa Mir broke free all too easily on the left wing, ran in on goal but hit the far post with his shot. Doménech was beaten, but the post was not. It was the kind of move and finish that Thierry Henry would do in his sleep in the early noughties. It’s not as easy as he made it look, though. Ask Rafa Mir.
The next chance really should’ve doubled lead. Another cross from the right wing found Ivan Rakitić six yards out, with a free header on goal. Luckily for Los Che, his header was straight at Doménech, who palmed it away from danger.
Against the run of play Valencia equalised just before half-time. A peach of a cross came flying in from Gayà out on the left, falling perfectly into the path of the onrushing Gonçalo Guedes, who sent a bullet header into the roof of Sevilla’s goal. 1-1.
That was Guedes’ 8th goal of the season. Bypassing last season’s total of 5. Valencia versus Sevilla left it all to play for.
Half-full or half-empty?
Half time, then. To this point, Valencia versus Sevilla had been a very entertaining game.
As is usually the way, a first half full of excitement leads to a cagey start to the second. Sevilla tried to liven things up with the introduction of sub Tecatito Corona in the 74th minute. The game plan was now to play long balls over the top for the speedy Mexican to chase. The trouble, though, was that he found it hard to stay onside, and when he did finally get through legally, his attempted lob was, let’s say, not exactly ‘Bergkampesque’.
The late drama didn’t come from goalmouth action, it came from the referee’s pocket. In the 89th minute the impressive Gayà left the park for a second yellow card. Yes, his foot was high, but at worst it was 1cm away from Lucas Ocampos’ ear. He didn’t touch him. Maybe he fell because the close boot messed up his internal balance… but that doesn’t explain the histrionic screaming. Maybe he’s from the same Argentinian school of the dark arts that Diego Simeone attended. Either way, his theatrics combined with the card-waving charades of his teammates gave the ref all the pressure he needed to send Gayá off.
Call it what you want. But it’s still cheating
It’s been said before, and will be said again, but simulation – also known as ‘cheating’ – will always remain an ugly and unsporting part of the game. There is simply too much money at these top levels. And until managers and fans cease to see it as a skillful and useful winning tool in a player’s armoury, it will remain a shameful part of football at all levels.
Luckily for Los Che, Valencia rode out the final few minutes easily enough with ten men. Valencia versus Sevilla ended 1-1. The home side was probably happier with that result.
One that leaves them in 9th place, level with Villarreal on 29 points, but below them on goal difference. Next up is the difficult trip to Atlético Madrid on Saturday night. They’ll need to hunker down to plan tactics in the Batcave before that battle…
As well as covering football and helping edit ‘Valencia Life’, Mark Pulley also writes especially about travel – with a focus on Valencia – at thesketchytraveller.com
