Liga: Sevilla win in Bilbao with Ocampos penalty

Zero to zero in shots on goal until the 90th minute, Sevilla’s 1-0 victory in Bilbao thanks to a not exactly crystalline penalty suffered and converted by Ocampos in the 92nd minute, the only shot on target in a not exactly spectacular match that the Basques controlled and managed but ended up losing in a mocking way. On the thirteenth attempt Mendilibar managed to win in San Mames.

Mendilibar impact

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Athletic Bilbao and Sevilla are two of the fittest sides in La Liga: the former had scored 13 out of 15 points in the last five matchdays, 10 out of 12 points since Mendilibar’s arrival for Sevilla, which are now 13 out of 15. ‘it is doubtful that the Andalusian team’s third manager of the season has literally resurrected the team that has already passed from Lopetegui to Sampaoli: 4 wins and 1 draw in La Liga, the incredible elimination of Manchester United in the quarterfinals of the Europa League who served the semifinal with Juventus. Progress, undeniable, was not seen tonight in San Mames also thanks to the decidedly brilliant Basques. Before facing Juventus, Sevilla will play next Monday against Girona and Thursday against Espanyol, both games at Sanchez Pizjuan, then a week off before the away match in Turin.

Typical training

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To face Athletic, Mendilibar has chosen a formation that could be considered as the starting one at the moment, and which could be very close to the one that will face Juventus in Turin in two weeks’ time: Dmitrovic in goal, even if in the Europa League he can playing Bounou, Jesus Navas and Acuña full-backs, Gudelj and Badé in central defence, Rakitic and Fernando in front of the defence, the Argentines Ocampos and Lamela alongside Suso, En-Nesyri as a point of reference. If he were to recover the central defender Marcao, who injured his right thigh with United, Mendilibar would make Gudelj and Rakitic climb forward by sending Suso to the bench.

Double offside

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Athletic scored in the 8th minute with Nico Williams set up by De Marcos and in the 16th minute with Guruzeta from a Nico Williams cross, but both goals were disallowed for offside. The second quite evident, the first really millimeter. Sevilla were unable to create serious dangers in Unai Simon’s goal and suffered from the vitality of Athletic, led by an excellent Sancet and dragged by the gusts of Nico Williams. But betrayed by Guruzeta, an erratic sill. Mendilibar brought on Bryan Gil at half-time for Lamela, booked and inaccurate. And after 10 minutes he tried with Pape Gueye, Papu Gomez (who had played a miserable minute in Mendilibar’s first 6 games in Seville) and Montiel, recalling Rakitic, Suso and Jesus Navas, bruised but survived the fight with Nico Williams, 17 years his junior.

I gasp

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Bryan Gil had half a chance but was stopped by Vivian and the match continued without major jolts until the 90th minute when Unai Simon put Yeray in trouble with a short and hasty pass in the Basque area: the centre-back slipped and pulled Ocampos down. For the referee it’s a penalty, from the Var they don’t contradict him and so the former Milan and Genoa player gave 3 very heavy and not exactly deserved points to Sevilla.