Loco4LosChe

César Sánchez

Miguel Brtio David Navarro Alexis Ruano Bruno Saltor

Carlos Marchena David Albela

Pablo Hernández David Silva Juan Mata

David Villa

Sevilla flew out of the traps and quickly worked a half chance. Freddy Kanouté found space with the ball but could not put his foot through the effort as the ball rolled into César Sánchez’s hands.

Kanouté was nearly in again just minutes later but for a fine tackle from David Navarro. The Valencia man managed to poke the ball from under Kanouté who went down just inches from the penalty area.

For the early part of the game it was all Sevilla. Jesús Navas cut inside after he controlled a long ball from Kanouté, beat the defender and fired a quick shot. Sánchez got down well to cover the corner of his goal but for the first fifteen minutes only one team looked like scoring.

The home team looked like the only ones who were interested as they flew about the pitch, pressing and trying to win the ball back every time they gave it away. However, Valencia woke up after the early encounters. Their first chance came from a Carlos Marchena free kick.

He lofted the ball forward and found Mata who scrambled to the byline and crossed well. There were no Valencia shirts willing to nod the ball in as Andrés Palop was allowed to gather quickly and cheer.

Sevilla quickly got the goal that had been coming.Á lvaro Negredo struck in the 21st minute after a Diego Perotti corner had been flicked onto him at the back post to prod in. It was a 1-0 lead that the hosts deserved.

Valencia were rocked and it showed. David Albelda and David Navarro both were shown yellow cards within three minutes of each other as tempers threatened to over boil.

The home team pressed on and were looking to double their advantage before the break. Adriano made a storming run up the wing before cutting inside and unleashing a bullet which grazed Sánchez’s far post.

Valencia stuck to their task but their problem was trying to pass the ball into the Sevilla net. They had to stay tight at the defensive end and Bruno cleared well from a Perotti free kick just before half time.

The first 45 could have ended in disaster for Valencia when Sánchez tried to delicately control a back pass. Kanouté ran in on goal but the Valencia goalkeeper managed to just nudge the ball away from him and win a free kick to get himself out of trouble.

The second half started in much the same way as the first. Negredo raced past the Valencia defence three minutes after the re-start and would have scored but for the pace of Sánchez to come out and smother the ball.

Valencia then went straight up the other end with a good counter attacking move and forced a corner. Mata swung an expert ball in and Julien Escudé headed clear when a number of Valencia players were waiting to prod the ball in.

Valencia started to crank up the pressure as they went in search of the equaliser. David Villa, relatively anonymous, stood over a free kick and hit it with plenty of power straight into the wall in the

53rd minute.

Sevilla still looked dangerous and a mistake from Miguel nearly cost his team badly. He passed straight to Perotti who could have set up a certain goal were it not for the quick reactions of Albelda to get across and cover.

Valencia brought on Nikola Žigić to add something extra in attack and he nearly made an immediate impact. The giant stormed into the area but Adriano stole the ball from him just as he was about to pull the trigger.

The away team were all over the second half and David Silva was the next man to have a chance. He raced through the midfield just before the 70 minute mark, cut past two defenders and shot but could not get power into the ball as Palop gathered and cleared.

Sevilla soaked up the pressure superbly and hit back with a killer touch. Negredo bagged his second of the game as he chipped the ball expertly beyond Sánchez and seemingly wrapped up the points for his side. Jesús Navas slipped him in after the Valencia midfield gave the ball away far too easily.

Valencia did not seem to have an answer and the frustrations were getting the better of them. Silva looked as though he would go mad at someone after a late challenge from Fernando Navarro left him furious.

However, the away team pressed on and Éver Banega’s brilliant cross gave Palop trouble. He had to back pedal quickly to get a hand on the lofted ball, which was going straight onto Žigić’s head and probably into the back of the net. Valencia were running out of time as the game entered the last ten minutes.

Sevilla looked the more likely to extend their lead and make it 3-0. Navas made a good run before being fouled but the referee played a good advantage. Adriano pinged the ball over to Diego Capel who blazed wildly wide with an effort that would have sealed the match.

Valencia kept the pressure on and got a goal back in added time through David Navarro. However, it was all too little too late as Sevilla defended well in the closing stages. The two goal advantage they had built up was one they were not going to let slip away.

Match report and player ratings from Goal.com

Player Ratings

César Sánchez - 5 - A few hairy moments. Not a very convincing performance and the Andalusian crowd certainly got into his head as he started goading the galleries.

Miguel Brtio - 5.5 - Did better than Bruno on the opposite wing and got forward to support the attack on a few occasions but Sevilla dominated out wide.

David Navarro - 6.5 - Gave his side brief hope late on with a goal and did well aerially at the back but the danger was elsewhere.

Alexis Ruano - 5.5 - Allowed Negredo to find time and space for the second and was missing for the first goal as Renato nodded down to Negredo.

Bruno Saltor - 5 - Roasted on a handful of occasions against Navas but certainly not disgraced.

Carlos Marchena - 6 - Good distribution in the first half and battled hard but Sevilla's intensity had him under pressure.

David Albela - 5 - Booked in the first half and looked off the pace with some late challenges. Got caught in possession for the second goal. Not a good night.

Pablo Hernández - 4.5 - A couple of brief cameo's in the first half but otherwise non existent.

David Silva - 6.5 - Always looked to get involved and had some bright moments but the Sevilla defence were all over him from the off.

Juan Mata - 5.5 - A couple of flashes of what he is capable of but nothing special.

David Villa - 6 - His only real goal chance was a first half shot at goal which was quite tame but can do little without the service.

Substitutes

Éver Banega - 6.5 - Added more to the midfield battle for Los Che but was fighting a losing battle as the damage was done by the time he came in.

Nikola Žigić - 6.5 - Offered something different and Sevilla were on the back foot far more when he came in. One decent header goalwards but little else as a direct goal threat.

Chori Domínguez - N/A - Came on very late.