Straight
Alavés got their first victory by beating Sevilla, whose defense was a disaster. Kike García destroyed the Andalusia side that City had managed to contain just days before. What Haaland couldn’t, Kike García managed to push a team that deserved the win. Sevilla were a quarter down and had some very serious flaws. Dmitrovic, his goalkeeper, failed when Bono was sold. The centre-forward Gudelj and the young Kike Salas do not offer the necessary level in a Sevilla that plays in the Champions League. At the same time, neither Jordán nor Rakitic tie in midfield. The sad memory of last season hovers over a Sevilla team that lost their first two La Liga games earlier this season. And he did it against two rivals not destined to play in the noble zone of the table, Valencia and Alavés. The Andalusian team needs to improve their squad from now until the end of the market. Otherwise you will be very bad.
4
Sivera, Sedlar, Abdel Abqar, Gorosabel, Rubén Duarte (Rafa Marín, min. 86), Xeber Alkain (Javi López, min. 67), Ander Guevara, Carlos Benavídez (Antonio Blanco, min. 79), Luis Rioja (Miguel De La Fuente, min. 87), Guridi and Kike García (Mamadou, min. 79)
3
Dmitrovic, Marcos Acuña (Adrià Pedrosa, min. 45), Jesús Navas, Kike Salas, Gudelj, Lucas Ocampos (Óliver Torres, min. 60), Joan Jordán (Jesús Corona, min. 75), Rakitic (Fernando, min. 45 ), Lamela, Suso (Rafa Mir, min. 75) and En-Nesyri
Goals 1-0 min 7: Luis Rioja. 1-1 min 15: Abdel Abqar (p.). 1-2 min 40: Lick it. 2-2 mins 43: Ruben Duarte. 3-2 mins 54: Kike Garcia. 4-2 mins 58: Kike Garcia. 4-3 mins 96: Rafael Mir.
referee Guillermo Cuadra Fernández
Yellow cards Gudelj (min. 61), Gorosabel (min. 90) and Óliver Torres (min. 98)
Good game from Alavés. Despite all his limitations, he tried very hard to create a significant number of chances for the theoretically superior Sevilla. What Luis García’s team did was justified. There were 14 shots he fired for the Andalusian side, scoring four goals. Alavés had the virtue of striking and exploiting the weaknesses of this very fragile Seville. José Luis Mendilibar still has a lot of work to do. His team are undoubtedly Europa League champions but all the alarm bells are ringing because it’s not normal to paint such a worrying picture of his defense system.
Seville is in the process of being built up. The same shipwreck against Valencia, who face Pep Guardiola’s City. Along the way, he conveys conflicting feelings on his return to LaLiga. With Suso marking the differences from midfield and well supported by Lamela and Ocampos, this is a side with talent and power. Many more problems remain behind us. Dmitrovic, the recently sold Bono, offers no guarantees and his centre-backs could hardly stop the attacks of a side like Alavés. Recently promoted, the Basque side created numerous chances for Sevilla. The slightly more talented Andalusian side scored twice, as did the Alavés, who had up to four more chances to score. There was an exchange of blows, which was at least amusing for the viewer. Four goals came from good shots and also from bad luck, such as the own goal from local centre-back Abqar.
Sevilla’s second half was a disaster. Alavés felt their weakness perfectly, because Kike García moved very well between Gudelj and Kike Salas and was absolutely superior. The striker scored two very good goals and Alavés took a 4-2 lead on the bench in front of the astonished face of Mendilibar. Alavés managed a little more and suffered in the latter part of the game after a great Rafa Mir goal. It was minute 97, too late for a defenseless Sevilla.
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