Soccer
Super Eagles striker Akor Adams scored for Sevilla in their hard-fought 2-1 win over Atlético Madrid on Saturday, Soccernet.ng reports.
Relegation-threatened Sevilla welcomed Atleti to the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán for their La Liga clash on Saturday. Heading into the game, Los Nervionenses were placed 18th with 31 points after 31 games; consequently, they desperately needed a victory.
Coach Luis García stuck with his trusted players for the match, with Super Eagles star Adams leading the line, while Chidera Ejuke started on the bench. Coach Diego Simeone, on the other hand, started a weakened team without regular starters like Ademola Lookman, Antoine Griezmann, and Julián Alvarez.
He decided to rotate the squad due to their upcoming UEFA Champions League game against Barcelona in midweek. According to Opta, with an average age of 23 years and 289 days, this was Atlético Madrid’s youngest-ever starting eleven in a La Liga match under Diego Pablo Simeone.
Soccer Match Highlights
Sevilla enjoyed a dream start as they dominated the opening proceedings. In the 8th minute, they won a penalty after VAR adjudged that Isaac Romero had been upended in the box.
Adams took charge of the situation and won the battle of wills, dispatching the penalty into the bottom right corner to make it 1-0. Atlético Madrid goalkeeper Juan Musso got a hand on the ball, but the power behind the strike was too strong, and it found its way into the net.
Atlético Madrid reacted strongly to going down, with chances falling at both ends of the pitch. However, they failed to capitalize until the 35th minute, when Javier Boñar scored the equalizer with a close-range header.
Their joy did not last long, however, as Nemanja Gudelj scored again for Sevilla to make it 2-1 heading into the break.
The second half was an all-Atlético Madrid affair, as Sevilla had to spend more time chasing the ball. Nevertheless, clear opportunities were difficult to come by for either side.
Coach Simeone introduced Ademola Lookman in the 71st minute to try to create openings in the Sevilla backline, but the Super Eagles star was unable to make a significant impact.
While the penalty was Adams’ only goal of the game, he influenced the match in other ways; he was full of energy all night until he was eventually substituted in the 94th minute. After a tough 90 minutes of football, the game ended 2-1 in Sevilla’s favour.
Can Akor Adams Help Sevilla Avoid Relegation?
With their win over Atlético Madrid, Sevilla now sit 15th in La Liga. However, they are far from safe, as they remain just three points above the relegation zone. Unfortunately for them, they also have a poor goal difference.
Nigerian striker Akor Adams remains their top scorer this season, with eight goals and three assists in 26 appearances.
He has arguably been Sevilla’s best player this season. With seven games left to play, the club will be banking on him to deliver a string of solid performances.
This win over Atlético Madrid is a statement of intent and shows that the team is serious about avoiding the drop. Los Nervionenses will look to build on this performance in the coming weeks.
Read MoreKelvin Omachonu