Soccer
Sevilla’s Matias Almeyda with pip of Akor Adams. (Photos by Imago)
Sevilla coach Matias Almeyda revealed that he benched Akor Adams for their game against Valencia on Saturday because he was unhappy with the striker’s performance against Barcelona last week, Soccernet.ng reports.
Adams is currently Sevilla’s top scorer, contributing seven goals and four assists in 23 appearances.
Since returning from the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, he has been one of Los Nervionenses’ standout performers.
As a result, he was widely expected to start when Sevilla welcomed fellow relegation rivals Valencia to the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on Saturday.
However, coach Almeyda opted to start Neal Maupay to lead the line instead. Unfortunately for them, the tactical shift failed to yield results, as Los Nervionenses found themselves two goals down by the break, courtesy of strikes from Hugo Duro and Largie Ramazani.
Almeyda eventually introduced Adams at halftime. The Nigerian brought much-needed bite and urgency to the side, but they ultimately failed to find the net despite dominating the second half.
The match ended 2-0, a result that saw Valencia climb to 11th place—seven points clear of the drop and just six points away from a European spot.
Sevilla, on the other hand, sit 15th with 31 points from 29 games, hovering just three points above the relegation zone.
Matias Almeyda Reveals Why He Benched Akor Adams
Speaking after the defeat, Matias Almeyda was asked why he left Akor Adams out of the starting lineup. He explained that the decision stemmed from the Nigerian’s showing in their previous 5-2 loss at Barcelona.
He also noted that with three senior strikers in the squad, he wanted to rotate the team and give others an opportunity to prove themselves.
”We have three strikers. I’m trying them out to see who scores the goals,” Almeyda said.
”I brought Neal back after his injury. I wasn’t happy with Akor’s last game, so we tried to rotate the squad. It’s very difficult to please everyone.
”César came off because he felt discomfort in his adductor. Seeing how they were positioned with a back three, I thought that by bringing on Akor, we’d have a better attacking option. I made the substitution from that position. At halftime, we made another change to try and improve, but we didn’t succeed.”
Following this loss, Almeyda will have to go back to the drawing board. Sevilla are now in a very precarious position, and another defeat could see them slip further toward the drop.
The coach has likely realized by now that Adams is a vital cog in his machine. Going forward, it is expected that the Super Eagles star will return to his spot as a regular starter.
Kelvin Omachonu
Kelvin Omachonu is a professional football columnist and sports writer with over half a decade of experience covering major events and delivering captivating, analytically-driven stories.
A graduate of the University of Ibadan, he is fueled by a profound dedication to sports journalism and the beautiful game. His insights have previously been featured in respected outlets, including IndyPress UI, UCJ UI Newshive NG, Sportpremi, and a few others.
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