Match reports

2-1: KRASNODAR END SEVILLA'S WINNING STREAK WITH A COMEBACK WIN

04/10/2018

First European defeat of the season for Sevilla with several changes that fell prey to Krasnodar's pressure. Although they went in front thanks to Nolito's goal, two goals by substitutes from the home side turned the game around after they had already hit the Sevilla crossbar three times earlier in the game.

An often difficult trip to Russia once again put an end to Sevilla's run of good results and their outstanding record in this competition. In a match in which the hosts came out from the start with very high intensity, it was Sevilla who managed to break the deadlock from a set-piece. Nolito, whose shot deflected in off Kaboré, managed to give Sevilla the lead, who had left several key players on the bench. However, against a Krasnodar side who hit the crossbar three times, the final stretch of the game was fatal for Machín's men, who saw the substitutes Pereyra and Okriashvili turn the match around, making it essential for Sevilla to win their next two group matches against the theoretically weakest side in the group Akhisaspor who currently sit bottom of group J.

Krasnodar came out very fast and pressed very hard during the opening minutes, in which the Russian team managed to suffocate Sevilla and gave them absolutely no room for error. And in the 3rd minute, Krasnodar had their first chance after a poor pass from Sevilla at the back and Claesson had an effort that sailed narrowly wide. Sevilla were finding it hard to get into the final third, but fifteen minutes in they also created their first chance as Arana put in a measured cross towards Muriel, who stretched for the ball with his right foot instead of heading at the far post. As was to be expected the pressure from the home side started to die down and Sevilla took advantage to even out the possession and to calm the game down. They managed to do so, in part, but they could still not find the thrust required to trouble Kritsyuk in the Krasnodar goal.

Krasnodar started the game with great intensity, but it was Nolito who got the first goal just before the break

Midway through the first half came another surge from Krasnodar, which this time seriously threatened the Sevilla goal, with Mamaev heading the ball against the crossbar from a corner and Claesson also smashing the crossbar with a powerful shot after a turnover in possession. With fifteen minutes to go until the break, Krasnodar hesitated between conserving their energy and continuing to push and the indecision proved costly. After a good effort from Arana across the goal, the opening goal came three minutes before the break thanks to a clever piece of play. Banega's corner from the left-hand side found Nolito on the edge of the box and his shot took a deflection off Kabouré, deceiving the keeper to give Sevilla the lead. A goal that gave a psychological boost to Sevilla, who had scored with their first shot on target.

Krasnodar started to push up the pitch in the second half and they once again came close to scoring early in the second half, with the Swede Claesson having a host of chances to level the score. Nine minutes after the restart he once again hit the crossbar, the third time by Krasnodar on the night, after a great cross from Mamaev, and just a minute later he put a shot wide after going one-on-one with Vaclík. Luis Muriel tried to respond for Sevilla, first with a shot across goal, then a header which nearly caught the keeper out. That was the Colombian's final contribution, as he was replaced by André Silva on the hour mark. Krasnodar's manager Musayev also made changes soon after, bringing on Pereyra, who would level the score two minutes after coming on with a shot across goal out of the reach of Vaclík.

Krasnodar threatened to find an equaliser at the start of the second half, but they did find it much later

With fifteen minutes remaining Machín did not hesitate. He sent on Franco Vázquez and Ben Yedder to recover those two points that were getting away andSevillaa reacted immediately. First Quincy Promes, just before he went off, and then Franco Vázquez had clear opportunities to put Sevilla back in front, but they could not find the back of the net. The Argentine went close once again with a shot from outside the box with ten minutes remaining. One point was probably what was deserved, even though it was not what they wanted coming into the clash, but this was all changed in a flash as the match seemed to be fizzling out. A powerful free-kick from Ramírez, which Vaclík punched away was played back into the box, and Okriashvili, surrounded by four men, managed to place his shot into the only place possible, thus completing the turnaround.

A hammer blow for Sevilla in a match that they were leading for a long time, with Krasnodar completing a dramatic comeback in the final minutes, placing themselves as the solitary leaders of the group. There can be no slip-ups now in the two matches against Akhisar, who fell to another defeat in Belgium against Standard. The first match will be on Thursday 24th in Nervión.

MATCH SUMMARY

2. FK KRASNODAR: Kritsyuk; Petrov, Martynovich, Spajic, Ramírez; Gazinski, Kaboré (Pereyra, 69'), Mamaev (Suleymanov, 73'); Wanderson ( Okriashvili, 83'), Cueva y Claesson.

1. SEVILLA FC: Vaclík; Sergi Gómez, Kjaer, Gnagnon; Jesús Navas, Arana; Roque Mesa, Banega, Nolito (Franco Vázquez, 76'); Quincy Promes (Ben Yedder, 76') y Muriel (André Silva, 61') .

GOALS: 0-1, 43': Nolito; 1-1, 72': Pereyra; 2-1, 87': Okriashvili.

REFEREE: Martin Strömbergsson, Swedish FA. No bookings.