Nine-man Sevilla left heartbroken by valiant Celta Vigo
Pape Gueye was one of Sevilla’s bright sparks in a cagey sequence of early exchanges.
The Senegalese put on an exhibition of energy and endeavour but it was brought to an end inside 19 minutes, by which time referee Valentin Pizarro had already brandished two yellow cards to kill any notions of a routine home debut for newly-appointed boss Jose Luis Mendilibar.
Smelling blood, Celta were soon on the offensive as a low cross into the box bamboozled the hosts’ defence, forcing Loic Bade to clear off the line after almost fumbling into his own net.
While Los Celestes thought they had Sevilla right where they wanted them, a twist in the tale was just around the corner as a simple corner-kick saw Youssef En-Nesyri notch for the second consecutive game by confidently heading the 10-man Rojiblancos in front.
Sevilla’s spirited display carried over into the second-half as they kept Celta at bay for long periods, although substitute Paciencia fired an almighty warning shot by smashing the post from close-range with just over 20 minutes to play.
That seemed to spark something in Mendilibar’s side, and just minutes after En-Nesyri came within inches of scoring his second header of the game, Acuna appeared to have put the tie beyond doubt with a spectacular strike from distance that arrowed into the bottom corner.
In reality the contest was far from over, however, as teenage substitute Rodriguez kick-started Sevilla’s agonising end to the game by bagging his first LaLiga goal with one minute of normal time remaining.
Finally, in the depths of added time, Paciencia made up for his earlier miss with a looping header, sparking raucous celebrations among his teammates before Acuna also received his marching orders.
Despite the killer blow, Sevilla moved five points clear of the drop zone ahead of a daunting UEFA Europa League double-header with Manchester United, and while Celta failed to register their first away win since 2015, it will certainly feel like a triumph for manager Carlos Carvalhal.