With Sevilla sitting just two points above Getafe coming into the afternoon – and perhaps hungover from their midweek trip to Istanbul – the visiting fans’ hearts were in their mouths early on, when goalkeeper Yassine ‘Bono’ Bounou gave up possession in his own area. While Enes Ünal inexplicably failed to convert, that early drama set the scene for a fast-paced opening, which saw little of the caginess expected from a potentially crucial bottom-half encounter.
The hosts looked slicker in attack and enjoyed the best opportunities before HT, most notably when Munir El Haddadi fired narrowly wide after being sent through on goal by Ünal. Sevilla’s backline produced several goal-saving interventions in a resilient first-half display, but they struggled to apply pressure at the other end, laying bare the deficiencies that may see the Andalusian side finish below halfway in LaLiga for the first time since being relegated in 2000.
Jorge Sampaoli’s men did little to appease their travelling fans at the start of the second period either, as Bono was forced into a smart reaction save by El Haddadi. But there was little the goalkeeper could do – with or without more help from his teammates – when the Moroccan eventually got his name on the scoresheet against his former side in the 50th minute. More calamity in the Sevilla backline gave way to his composed finish from inside the area.
Lucas Ocampos’ overhead kick came close to levelling matters as Sevilla regrouped. But Ünal continued to be a thorn in their side, and Loïc Badé was perhaps fortunate only to see a yellow card when he felled the Turkish hitman as he bore down on goal. The striker would eventually get his goal in the final seconds of the match though, as his strike from the edge of the box downed an exhausted-looking Sevilla backline, changing the complexion of an intriguing LaLiga relegation battle yet again.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Munir El Haddadi (Getafe)