Sevilla were struggling this season under Jose Luis Mendilibar but drew with Real Madrid under Diego Alonso and pose a renewed threat
Arsenal’s Champions League group is shaping up to be a curious one. With Mikel Arteta’s team in second place in Group B as we head into the third round of fixtures, Ligue 1 strugglers Lens lead the way, while rampant Eredivisie league-leaders PSV have some catching up to do despite nine consecutive wins and just three goals conceded — two of which were penalties — to kick off the Dutch campaign.
Advertisement Then, enter Sevilla, and their inconsistencies, to round off the most unpredictable of groups. Things are more complex than ever at Sevilla, even within 150 days of their record-extending seventh Europa League title. Having recovered from an alarming slide towards the relegation zone last season by enlisting the help of La Liga veteran Jose Luis Mendilibar and embracing his brand of direct football along the way, Sevilla parted ways with the 62-year-old on October 8 after just seven months in charge and are now hoping to kick on from a confusing season that swung from one extreme to the other. Mendilibar claimed his footballing philosophy, built on hard running and high pressing, hadn’t changed in 29 years of coaching. His intensity proved inspirational at Eibar, taking the smallest club in to record ninth and 10th-placed finishes; and that same buzz initially inspired , until it became clear he could not take the club much further than he already had. Looking at the team metrics during his time in charge, the aims of the system were clear to see. No team in the Spanish top flight recovered possession in the attacking third more often than his Sevilla, while only four sides took more shots. The average quality of those chances, however, was the second-lowest. It is a jumble of numbers that paints a picture of a manager whose teams thrive on the counter, squeezing every last drop of physicality from a squad constructed for controlling the ball. Nonetheless, through sheer force of will, Mendilibar created lasting memories at the club playing in his own, unmistakable way. A 3-0 win against in April’s quarter-final was built on a rigorous and disciplined high press, while a dramatic victory over in the following round was carved out with crosses, as Sevilla delivered a total of 63 deliveries into the penalty area across an attritional extra-time win. Advertisement Averaging 26.5 crosses per game throughout his tenure — the most of any La Liga club in that time — chaos was much preferred to control in the final third. But that could also be exploited, as early-season high-flyers demonstrated back in August. Placing an emphasis on bravery in possession, head coach Michel demanded his players take at least two touches in the face of the all-out Sevilla press — and won the game 2-1. They might have conceded 21 shots, losing the ball in their own defensive third 13 times, but more composed heads saw Girona play through wild pressure time and time again, eventually taking all three points with a crisp passing move, starting from the defence. Particularly in games against technically sound teams, Sevilla lacked that precision and their intensity became predictable. And as they flung a further 50 crosses into the box that day, it became clear that Mendilibar’s commitment to his philosophy was starting to produce desperate, mistake-strewn football. Despite the glorious highs, the short-term solution had run its natural course. So, what now? In the wake of Mendilibar’s bittersweet departure, Sevilla have turned to former head coach Diego Alonso, a manager with more progressive ideas in possession but that same bite without it. His opening game against was another Sevilla performance characterised by a high-octane midfield battle, with challenges flying in from , and, of course, . Sergio Ramos and Antonio Rüdiger got a little too close for comfort today 👀 — Viaplay Sports UK Still, the numbers told a radically different story, particularly in terms of possession An overall pass completion rate of 90.3 per cent was a higher figure than in any of the 20 La Liga games under Mendilibar, while the team also completed more passes in their own half , showing more of a desire to build up carefully through the thirds. Advertisement Further, the percentage of Sevilla’s passes that went long was lower than in any game under the old boss, while goalkeeper completed six passes under 10 metres — almost as many as Mendilibar’s goalkeepers completed throughout his entire seven-month tenure . The pass network below illustrates the increased comfort Sevilla enjoyed on the ball in midfield areas, even against the league leaders. Soumare frequently dropped between the centre-backs, while the wing-backs were hugely involved in spells of sustained possession. Mendilibar’s methods will not be completely abandoned — 26 crosses into the box showed that Alonso’s team will still look to be direct when the opportunity arises and it’s something Arsenal will need to be wary of on Tuesday night. After all, with a player like Youssef En-Nesyri lurking, who has made more headed shots and scored more headed goals than any other La Liga player since he joined the club in January 2020, why would you not swing a few crosses in for him to attack? Sevilla are still caught between multiple identities — they have been, almost invariably, since Unai Emery left the club back in 2016. But as a new era begins, led by a fourth permanent manager in just over a year, they remain a force to be reckoned with on a one-off game, with a mysterious ability to grind out European results. Much like their visit to Lens, will need to be wary of a team that know just how to let the adrenaline take over on the biggest nights.
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