Real Sociedad asserted their dominance at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán, returning to victory and calming their strangely irregular league campaign this year, against a Sevilla side that is once again reverted to poor performance and doubts. Well, there aren’t too many doubts: the once-great team from Nervión is now illuminated by the personality instilled by their coach, García Pimienta, and three or four elite players, among whom their forwards do not currently feature: just look at the glaring miss in front of an empty net by Nigerian Iheanacho that sealed the game.
Real struggles at home, perhaps unwilling to relinquish their status as a team that dominates all aspects of the game, exuberant and sometimes even overwhelmed by their own defensive risks. But away from home, Imanol dons the apron of Ferrán Adrià and refines their style to control matches with exquisite minimalism, silently, and most importantly: to win them. Three victories and two draws in six away games account for 11 of the 15 points they possess. In Nervión, facing a depleted Sevilla, further weakened by a long list of absentees that saw Idumbo join the fray in the 25th minute, the txuri-urdin side monopolized possession and chances, just as they have in most stadiums they’ve visited this season.
Even though both Sevilla and Real currently have the same points, they are playing in different leagues. Imanol has had the luxury—his reasons will be known—of leaving Take Kubo, a very elite player and the one who made the most difference on the pitch at the Sánchez-Pizjuán, on the bench for many matches this year. Pedrosa, who will dream of the Japanese player, was unable to contain him during one of his many incursions, and Kubo powered into the box to make it 0-1 (33′), a deserved score given the chances created. Only Isaac managed to trouble Real’s defense prior to half-time.
Marcao, with a foolish and blatant penalty for a handball on Zubimendi, completely derailed Sevilla, who, at the start of the second half, aside from a good play by Lukebakio in the area, appeared practically incapable in front of Remiro. Captain Oyarzabal converted the penalty (0-2, 67′) before a late flurry from the hosts, with two chances from Isaac and, importantly, from Iheanacho, who missed the target when he had the goal at his mercy. But the score remained unchanged, reflecting the respective realities of both teams: looking upwards once more in search of Europe for Real, and for Sevilla, the aim is to suffer as little as possible, a far cry from their former glory at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán.
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