Sevilla defeats Valladolid 2-0

Sevilla, Spain - Sevilla defeated Valladolid 2-0 in their LaLiga Santander match on Sunday. Frenchman Nabil Fekir, from a penalty kick, and Portuguese William Carvalho scored for Sevilla in the first half.

Valladolid arrived in Sevilla after a draw at home against Real Sociedad (1-1) last week, and on Sunday they had no chance, especially after conceding two early goals and the injury of Javi Moyano.

Manager Pellegrini trusted the same team that won 1-0 against Alavés in the previous matchday. Thus, Borja Iglesias started as the striker, while Loren Morón did not even make the squad.

Valladolid's coach, Sergio González, had an enforced change in comparison to last week's draw against Real Sociedad, as their regular goalkeeper, Jordi Masip, tested positive for COVID-19 and had to enter quarantine. Roberto Jiménez replaced him.

After just seven minutes, Óscar Plano committed a penalty by handling the ball with his hand. The referee awarded the penalty kick after checking with VAR. French international Nabil Fekir confidently scored the penalty and made it 1-0. A few minutes later, Portuguese William Carvalho added the second goal with a precise long-range shot.

Sevilla dominated the game from the start, and Valladolid struggled to react to the setbacks. They rarely threatened Chilean goalkeeper Claudio Bravo due to the well-organized defense of Sevilla.

During the final stages of the first half, Valladolid showed some signs of improvement and managed to get closer to the home team's box. However, they lacked the intensity to reduce the deficit and leave some uncertainty for the second half.

In the second half, Sergio González made three substitutions at once, bringing in Shon Weissman, Kike Pérez, and Pablo Hervias, aiming to strengthen the midfield and increase attacking power. However, he faced another difficulty when defender Joaquín Fernández also suffered an injury and had to be replaced by Javi Sánchez.

Sevilla calmly managed the rest of the match, aiming to keep the ball away from their own goal and potentially score a third goal to seal the victory. However, the 2-0 result was enough against an opponent that did not pose any significant threats.

- Match details:

2 - Betis: Claudio Bravo; Emerson, Mandi, Bartra, Álex Moreno; Guido Rodríguez, William Carvalho (Paul, m.92); Joaquín (Juanmi, m.69), Fekir (Tello, m.59), Canales; and Borja Iglesias (Sanabria, m.69).

0 - Valladolid: Roberto; Moyano (Luis Pérez, m.14), Bruno, Joaquín Fernández (Javi Sánchez, m.61), Nacho; Óscar Plano (Hervias, m.46), San Emeterio, Míchel (Kike Pérez, m.46), Orellana; Waldo (Weissman, m.46) and Guardiola.

Goals: 1-0, M.10: Fekir (penalty kick). 2-0, M.18: William Carvalho.

Referee: Santiago Jaime Latre (Aragonese Committee). Yellow cards for Fekir (m.30), Emerson (m.58), and Guido Rodríguez (m.58).

Attendance: Match of the second matchday of LaLiga Santander held at Benito Villamarín stadium without spectators due to COVID-19 protocols.