Sevilla overcame Ceuta 2-1 in a friendly match held at the Jesús Navas stadium. Goals from Peque and Miguel Sierra secured the victory, but the team's performance revealed offensive and defensive shortcomings.
Sevilla achieved their first victory of pre-season by defeating Ceuta 2-1 in a friendly match held at the Jesús Navas stadium. Goals from Peque and Miguel Sierra, the latter a youth academy player, secured the win for a team that, however, again showed significant deficiencies in both attack and defence. Coach Luis García Plaza, in his second match at the helm of the first team, had to rely on players from the youth team to complete the squad.
The match began with Ceuta dominating, monopolising possession during the first few minutes and putting Sevilla's defence under pressure. Camacho had the first chance after a good run, but his shot went over the bar. Shortly after, Josema also failed to connect properly with the ball. Sevilla, on their part, struggled to retain possession and created few dangerous opportunities.
After the hydration break, the Nervionense team improved their possession and control of the game, with movements from Peque and Isaac Romero that, however, did not translate into clear chances. The first dangerous approach came with a shot from the edge of the area by Jon Guridi that went wide. Shortly after, a cross from Guridi almost resulted in an own goal from Sadik, whose clearance hit the post. In stoppage time of the first half, Isaac Romero had a chance after a through ball from Peque, but the Lebrija forward sent the ball wide, although the play was ruled offside.
The lack of accuracy from Isaac Romero, who has yet to score in pre-season, is a concern for the coaching staff. García Plaza decided to substitute him at half-time for Nico Guillén, moving Peque to the front line, which highlights the need for a reference centre-forward.
In the second half, Sevilla showed a better face and approached the opponent's area more frequently. Nico Guillén had the first chance after the break, with a cross-shot that a defender deflected for a corner. In the 51st minute, Miguel Sierra made the first shot on target for Sevilla, a powerful effort that goalkeeper Pedro López punched away. The Ceuta goalkeeper nearly gifted a goal to the Nervionenses by getting into a tangle with the ball, but Manuel Ángel failed to capitalise on it.
The Granadino Manuel Ángel, one of the bright spots of pre-season, again came close to scoring after a good back pass from Suazo, but the shot was blocked by a defender. Sevilla's good spell of play was rewarded in the 70th minute when a recovery from Agoumé ended with Manuel Ángel assisting Guridi, who made a good move down the left and crossed for Peque, acting as a centre-forward, to score Sevilla's first goal from open play in this pre-season.
The goal did not lull the team, which continued to seek the opposing goal. Shortly after, Miguel Sierra extended the lead with a shot that found the bottom corner, sealing the match. Ceuta reduced the deficit in the final minutes, but could not equalise. The result, however, should not obscure the shortcomings that Sevilla carries, especially in play creation and finishing. The defence, with Juan Iglesias playing as a centre-back due to the absences of Castrín and Kike Salas, also showed fragility at times.
Sevilla's next commitment will be on Thursday against Córdoba, another important test to measure the team's progress. The fans hope that reinforcements arrive soon to cover the positions the coach considers a priority, especially the forward line.
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