Seville earned a crucial 2-1 victory in the battle to climb out of the relegation zone, a decisive six-point clash against a direct rival like Almería. The visitors matched Sevilla on the table at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán and left the hosts in a vulnerable position among the group fighting to stay in the top tier.
Early action shaped the game, with left-back Sergio Akieme opening the scoring for Almería in the second minute. Yet within the first half, Argentinian Lucas Ocampos converted a penalty to level the score, and another Argentine, Erik Lamela, sealed the turnaround late in the match, giving Sevilla the win in the final stretch of regulation play.
With just fourteen rounds left in the championship, the Sevilla-Almería clash stood as a pivotal encounter for two teams occupying relegation places, both on twenty-five points. The result followed Valencia’s 1-0 victory over Osasuna at the Mestalla, which also influenced the precarious standings.
This result, along with other results from the day, compelled both Sevilla and Almería to pick up three points to avoid drifting further into the relegation zone, as a draw would not help either side; Elche, meanwhile, had managed to escape the bottom positions for the moment.
Meanwhile, spirits were high for Sevilla fans after defeating Fenerbahçe 2-0 in the Europa League Round of 16 first leg on Thursday. The recent 6-1 loss at Atlético de Madrid, though, had left Almería with some nicks in confidence, and a visiting performance of 0-2 against Villarreal had also shadowed their form. French defender Loïc Badé returned to Jorge Sampaoli’s squad, bringing fresh options, while Arnau Puigmal, the young midfielder, was handed his first start of the season after overcoming an injury in mid-February.
From the opening minutes, everything planned by both coaches was upended. Former Sevillista Alejandro Pozo produced a dangerous cross from the right, and Akieme latched onto it to finish with a powerful low strike that put Almería ahead early on.
After the early goal, the match swung into a brief period of disarray before the two teams shuffled players in the twelfth minute. Akieme needed treatment after a collision, and his teammate El Bilal Touré also left the field with an issue. The substitutions did little to disrupt the rhythm, as the visitors remained compact and organized while Sevilla pressed for balance and control.
The home side pressed with intent, while Almería looked to exploit any lapse in Sevilla’s defense. Sevilla managed to contain the visitors but found it difficult to finish meaningful chances before the halftime break, and Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bono appeared to suffer an injury early in the contest, later requiring attention on the sidelines as the team regrouped with Dmitrovic between the sticks for the second half.
All Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán stood to applaud Bono as he left the field on a stretcher after sustaining an injury, a moment that underscored the drama of the evening. The moment became a symbol of the match and the emotional intensity that football across Spain can deliver in this campaign. The scene circulated widely in social media, underscoring the electric atmosphere at the stadium.
With Serbian stopper Marko Dmitrovic now on the field, Sevilla began to control the pace and push for a second goal. In the first minute of stoppage time, Pozo sent a cross that led to a penalty for Ocampos, who converted again to restore Sevilla’s lead and set the tone for the second half, which started with a renewed battle for an equalizer.
The match continued with both sides searching for an insurance goal. Almería looked for a moment to pounce, but Dmitrovic remained vigilant, and Sevilla kept the home support engaged as the clock ticked toward the final whistle. A late surge from the visitors offered a glimmer of hope for a 2-2 draw, but the balance of play and the decisive finish belonged to Sevilla as the minutes dwindled.
Lamela extended Sevilla’s lead near the end of regular time after Ocampos finished his contribution, sealing a hard-fought 2-1 victory at home. From there to the final whistle, Sevilla clung to the advantage, while Almería continued to seek a way through for a late equalizer, yet the hosts held firm and earned a crucial three points in their fight to escape the relegation zone.