Sevilla were aiming to make it back-to-back victories in LaLiga for the first time since the start of January as they came up against 5th place Villarreal. Indeed, it was the visitors that looked desperate to claim a win - starting at an electric pace. Isco did brilliantly to claim his first assist in Sevilla colours, finding Óliver Torres inside the area to supply a cute finish into the corner for 1-0. Despite hitting the bar through a Dani Parejo wonder strike, the hosts offered very little in the first half.
Unai Emery, clearly unimpressed with his side, made the early substitution of Giovani Lo Celso for Álex Baena after 30 minutes. This shocked his team into action and led to their best chance of the half - a Nicolas Jackson curled effort that flew just wide of the post. It was the substitute that changed the game for Villarreal at the start of the second half after Francis Coquelin’s through ball allowed Baena to poke past Marko Dmitrović to score his third league goal of the season and make it 1-1.
Baena continued to be the most dangerous player on the pitch well into the second half and was incredibly unlucky not to double his tally for the game after doing brilliantly to cut inside, unleashing a low shot that was cleared off the line by Marcos Acuña. Sevilla’s great defensive work was almost undone by a terrible tackle by Alex Telles on Yéremy Pino. After initially giving away a penalty, the full-back was saved by a VAR intervention for the tightest of offsides. The shared point sees Sevilla move up to 15th, while Villarreal stay comfortably in 6th.
