With his attention fully on the Champions League quarter-final second leg against Barcelona in three days’ time, Diego Simeone named the youngest-ever LaLiga starting XI of his long tenure – one with an average age of 23 years and 289 days – and included three debutants. Unfortunately for him, one of them conceded a penalty inside the opening 10 minutes, as Dani Martinez was penalised for a challenge on Isaac Romero in the box after a lengthy VAR review.
Akor Adams dispatched the subsequent spot-kick to score the first goal of Luis Garcia Plaza’s tenure, despite Juan Musso getting a strong right hand to the ball.
This was unquestionably a much bigger game for the relegation-threatened hosts, and Plaza’s men were playing with confidence that reflected this.
However, Sevilla would experience that familiar sinking feeling once again, when Atleti restored parity in the 35th minute, as Javier Bonar marked his senior debut in style when he ran on to meet Julio Diaz’s cross with a fine header at the far post.
It was a proud moment for the 20-year-old, but his and Atleti’s joy was short-lived, as Los Rojiblancos skipper Nemanja Gudelj headed the hosts back in front, converting from Ruben Vargas’ corner in first-half stoppage time.
Sevilla were agonisingly close to a third just shy of the hour mark when Lucien Agoume spotted Romero in acres of space, but his left-footed strike cannoned off the post.
But in truth, that was the only real moment of excitement in a second half which lacked the intensity of the first. Nevertheless, this win for Plaza’s men moves them out of the bottom three and into the relatively lofty heights of 15th, ending a run of three successive H2H defeats in the process.
Meanwhile, Simeone will be relatively nonplussed about this result, despite succumbing to a fifth loss in their previous nine league games. Even a victory for fifth-placed Real Betis against Osasuna on Sunday would still leave them with a nine-point cushion inside the top four, with focus now shifting towards Barca’s visit to the Metropolitano.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Isaac Romero (Sevilla)