Sevilla – Valencia: Valencia’s European Challenge Ends With A Whimper (1-0)

Despite the minimal chances separating the two sides, Sevilla controlled the match from start to finish. Their inventiveness, fluidity and intensity in both their possession play and their pressing stifled the visitors, who only offered a glimpse of high-intensity attacking plays right at the end of proceedings.
Tactical analysis and match report by Peter Munnelly.

After their goalless draw with Real Sociedad on Thursday, they took on another team fighting for Europa League qualification. For their final team sheet of the league season, the hosts made four changes, seeing Franco Vázquez, Suso and Youssef En-Nesyri all made way for Munir El Haddadi, Lucas Ocampos and Luuk de Jong filling, as well as a reintroduction for Diego Carlos in place of Sergi Gómez.

Thursday’s 1-0 win over RCD Espanyol left Valencia within touching distance of European football for another season, but a win was a must, which is not easy to come by at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán.

Only three of the players that started on Thursday survived to start against Sevilla, who were Ferrán Torres and Gonçalo Guedes, occupying either flank, as well as Kévin Gameiro upfront. Keeping within the confines of their synonymous 4-4-2 system, there were returns to the eleven for Maxi Gómez, Dani Parejo, Gabriel Paulista, and many more.

Aggressive starts amount to little
Expectedly, both teams were keen to be on the front foot defensively, with the hosts also placing an emphasis on dominating with the ball. Their respective structures varied a little while keeping in tone with their own attacking formations.

Valencia’s double pivot Two central midfielders next to each . . .