Sevilla FC tested its revamped squad in a match against Espanyol at the RCDE Stadium, as reported by ABC Deportes. This fixture, refereed by Sesma Espinosa, served as an examination for the project initiated by the club's sporting direction, which closed its transfer market the previous Tuesday by bringing in eleven new players.
Luis García Plaza's team arrives at this match after an irregular start to the season. They sit eighth in La Liga with 6 points, from two wins and one loss in their first three games. They have scored 6 goals and conceded 5, leaving them with a positive goal difference of +1. Their next commitment is at home against Valencia on September 11th, an opponent currently fighting in the relegation places.
How did the new Sevilla FC line up?
García Plaza called up all the new signings for this trial match. Among the new faces were Stassin, Correia, and Fofana, three of the eleven reinforcements brought in this summer. The coach preferred to keep the same starting eleven as in previous matchdays, giving the newcomers time to adapt to the system. However, the team was limited by some important absences.
Rubén Vargas, currently on the club's injuries list, missed the match due to knee inflammation. His return is expected the following week. Marcao was also unavailable, while the youth player Miguel Sierra, who plays as a right winger, was part of the group. Scottish forward Robbie Ure, yet to score for the first team, and Ejuke, who scored in pre-season, were looking for minutes to earn a place.
What challenge did Espanyol pose?
The opponent, managed by Manolo González, was celebrating the manager's one hundredth game in charge of the perico bench. Manolo González confirmed before the match that "he would not have Gorosabel available, as the defender is dealing with after-effects from adductor issues". This absence added to those of Puado and Kike García.
Espanyol, which has been conservative in the market under Monchi's direction, had the threat of forward Roberto. He had scored three goals in the first three league games, including a brace against Levante and a goal against Real Sociedad. Bryan Zaragoza, on loan from Bayern Munich, was on the bench but did not start.
What is Sevilla's sporting direction evaluating?
José Ignacio Navarro and the sporting department have undertaken a deep change in the squad. The club said goodbye to sixteen players and welcomed eleven. The initial results and the team's attitude in the league are, for now, validating these decisions. The team has gained soul and competitiveness under García Plaza and no longer falls apart easily when under pressure.
The manager now has the responsibility of molding the group. As pointed out in the report, "the ball is now in his court, they have brought him almost everything he asked for and it is he who must now shape it all so the machinery works". One of his ideas is to play with two strikers, but he first needs to thoroughly assess the characteristics of his forwards.
What is the state of Sevilla's goalkeeping?
One area of attention remains the goal. Goalkeeper Vlachodimos had not yet kept a clean sheet in official matches this season at the time of the game. The team had conceded early goals in recent matches, a detail that needs polishing to aspire for more. Despite the good league start, Sevilla had not earned points since that first victory, a statistic they wanted to correct.
The match against Espanyol was, another test in the pre-season schedule. The squad, which can be viewed in detail on the official team page, now faces preparation for a key duel at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán. Valencia will visit Sevilla on September 11th, with the home team trying to earn points again to stay in the fight for Europe, as they are 3 points behind leaders Barcelona. You can follow the evolution of the standings in our league table section.
