Sevilla ease relegation fears with comfortable win over Elche
After scoring the second-lowest number of goals at home (seven) throughout the current LaLiga campaign, Sevilla dominated the opening quarter-hour, as Edgar Badia had to be on his toes to reroute Lucas Ocampos’s fearsome freekick away from danger.
Pursuing their first-ever top-flight head-to-head away league victory, Elche struggled to gain a foothold in the early exchanges.
Languishing in an unfamiliar position in the LaLiga standings after picking up only four victories so far this season, Sevilla were deservedly ahead in the 29th minute when Youssef En-Nesyri majestically rose off the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan turf to head Marcos Acuna’s cross beyond the grasp of Badia.
Elche’s hopes of finding a route back into the game were then dealt a blow in the 41st minute when VAR intervened to recommend that referee Cesar Soto Grado upgrade Pedro Bigas’s yellow card to a straight red, after the defender had brought down Suso with the Sevilla forward bearing down on goal.
With Jorge Sampaoli’s side smelling blood in the water, the hosts mercilessly took the match away from Elche within five game-deciding minutes.
After assisting the game's opening goal, 2022 FIFA World Cup winner Acuna got his name on the scoresheet with a fearsome strike from the edge of the area, only for En-Nesyri to then double his tally for the evening in added-on time with a sublimely-taken strike.
With victory assured, Sampaoli handed man of the match Youssef En-Nesyri a well-deserved rest in the 72nd minute against the backdrop of a standing ovation from the majority inside of the stadium.
The victory moves Sevilla four points clear of the heavily-congested LaLiga relegation zone as Sampaoli's side prepares for a mouth-watering clash at the Camp Nou against league leaders Barcelona next Sunday.
In contrast, Elche remain on course for a return to LaLiga 2 for the first time in three years after again coming up short in their aim of registering a first victory of the current campaign.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Youssef En-Nesyri (Sevilla)