Sevilla - Espanyol Match Comments

Originally published at: http://monchismen.com/sevilla-espanyol-match-comments-3/

You guys. We. Are. Back! La Liga kicks off today, and Sevilla opens by hosting forever kindred folks Espanyol. It’s like the first week of school, seeing old friends again, noticing who’s graduated, and checking out the new kids. It’s damn good to be back, and to be back with all of you.

As mentioned, Sevilla starts the season with Espanyol, and I think it’s safe to assume our pre-existing bond over our lost heroes Puerta and Jarque will be especially felt both in a pre-match moment of silence and throughout the game as the victims in Barcelona are remembered and honored. That aside, though, this should be an entertaining and exciting game, with the usual early season rustiness and slip-ups creating a few extra attacking opportunities for both sides. (Hopefully more for our Catalunyan rivals, who don’t have the benefit of a competitive match already under their belt). Sevilla in particular has always struggled early in the year as key players have seemed to have a habit of leaving late, and replacements always coming later still, but this year the work was mostly done early on, which should ease things a bit.

On that note, I think commenting on a team’s final roster before the end of the transfer window is a bit like taking a cake out of the oven 15 minutes before it’s done and criticizing the texture, but I will say this has been a pretty remarkable transfer season for Sevilla: some honest to goodness expenditures (Muriel), significant returns (Navas, Banega), some thus far not transferred key players (N’Zonzi). Overall I think Sevillistas should feel pretty good about where the team is for this late in August, and as I was saying the fact that our biggest purchases were handled early in the season I think showed its value in a mostly-cohesive performance in mid-week Champions qualifying. Let’s let that cake finish baking, but so far looking good!

Anyway, welcome to another year, feel free to fill the pre-chat hours with transfer chatter and starting XI speculation, and then let’s do this, because La Liga has returned!!!

Vamos sevilla! Let’s start with a bang! :soccer:️:+1:

Should aim for nothing less than 3 points tonight. I hope Berizzo won’t experiment much and field an A-team this time from the beginning.

Very confident we can win tonight… and less drama than the last season please!

P.S. On another note, I haven’t seen a team totally annihilate Atletico like Girona were doing in the first half. Will be interesting to see the second half also before our match kicks off.

Yeah surprising result so for with atletico 2-0 down. We’ll see how they respond. Promoted teams always dangerous to play early on.

Good news for us, however this shows we must guard against complacency.

Like shednm says, play our best team and get this won in 1st half. We need to start sharp and try make an early statement. Vamos!

Vamos! Thinking we start WBY and then switch to Muriel at half so WBY can rest a bit before Champs League on Tuesday. Nolito and Navas on the wings would be great too so they can be rust free for Tuesday and make life very difficult for Istanbul who will need to press us looking for goals.

Starting XI is out:

Soria
Corchia-Kjaer-Lenglet-Sarabia
N’Zonzi
Lasso-Ganso
Navas-Muriel-Nolito

I like that Soria gets to stake a claim. I’m just slightly worried about Lasso & Ganso unable to do anything in midfield.

What the… ?

I understand taking the CL tie seriously and resting a couple of starters… but isn’t a 1-2 away win against a very inferior team enough to not rest the starters in an important opener like tonight?

Berizzo even more confusing than Sampaoli at the moment.

Sarabia at left back? Is this real?

Toto loves to rotate, especially when he feels players aren’t in top shape to play twice a week yet. Didn’t like Sarabia at LB last season (got skinned alive numerous times), but going forward, his crosses will be lethal.

I’m a fan of rotations, but only when there’s a recognizable core to build around. At this point only N’Zonzi & Lenglet are repeat starters, but i feel that’s only due to squad limitations.

Wow I’m all about rotation but jeez. Lasso-Ganso…hope for the best there but would be satisfied to see those two just sit back playing defensively and let N’Zonzi do work with the wingers and Muriel.

Not sure I’ll even be able to watch this one… Been a long offseason and still not up to speed, but would be thrilled for us to get this win.

Meanwhile… Atleti down 0-2 to Girona?!? 30’ so plenty of time but… still. Let’s not do that in our match.

Dammit… those Atleti bastards equalized with 1 man down (Griezmann).

Still 2 dropped points visiting a newly promoted side. With any luck they’ll be decisive points later.

Damn - Soria out early with an injury. Something broken in the hand looks like. Poor guy. Really emotional coming off. Rico on

Goal!! Nolito!!!

Gave it to Lenglet, but great corner from Nolito there to put the keeper in a tough spot.

Muriel almost scored and then pouted instead of getting back in the play.

What the fuck was that? N’zonzi with a lazy as hell pass from a free kick, Leo Baptistão takes it and scores. I’ve always liked Baptistão btw

Awful goal to give away. Complete mess up by us. However, we did some good things going forward. Navas played well, Muriel and nolito look dangerous.

However, making all these changes and resting a lot of our key players was a big risk from Berrizo. I don’t mind a bit of squad rotation but not too much taking the core players out.

Nevertheless we still can win it, we got options on the bench and I’ll take 1-1 at half as they had a few chances. Hopefully we can settle down and play much better 2nd half. Vamos sevilla! :slight_smile:

Sometimes it sucks to be right, and this midfield isn’t working AT ALL. How is Lasso doing more work in there than Ganso? Send him the fuck back to Brazil, I’ve had enough! It may only be the first 45 min of the season, but c’mon man! I thought he left that bullshit in his first season. Now we gotta waste another sub on his ass?!

Pardon the expletives, but that was some embarrassing stuff. You think N’Zonzi wants to stay after that kind of display?