Marcos Fernández came off the bench to level in the final minute and hand Espanyol a point they looked unlikely to earn after Lucas Stassin put Sevilla ahead with five minutes remaining. Sevilla had a man sent off in the 56th minute when Arouna Sangante received a red card, yet it was the visitors who came closest to winning until Fernández struck to make it 1-1. A VAR disallowed goal for Espanyol had kept the score level before that drama unfolded, making for a chaotic closing half-hour at RCDE Stadium.
Key Moments
- 56′, Sevilla reduced to ten men as Arouna Sangante receives a red card, shifting the numerical advantage to the hosts.
- 62′, Omar El Hilali’s apparent goal for Espanyol is disallowed following a VAR review, keeping the match goalless.
- 85′, Lucas Stassin, who had been on the pitch for just over half an hour after coming on as a substitute at the 54th minute, breaks the deadlock to put Sevilla ahead.
- 90′, Marcos Fernández, another second-half substitute, fires home to equalise right at the final whistle and rescue a point for Espanyol.
Tactical Breakdown
Espanyol controlled the ball for most of the afternoon, holding 56% possession and attempting 12 shots compared to Sevilla’s six. Manolo González’s side pressed high in a 4-2-3-1 and had the visitors on the back foot for extended periods, yet their final third decision-making was poor. Three shots on target across 90 minutes told its own story, and the VAR cancellation of El Hilali’s strike summed up the home side’s frustrating afternoon in front of goal.
Sevilla manager Luis García Plaza made a double change at 54 minutes, bringing on Lucas Stassin and Youssouf Fofana, and lost Arouna Sangante to a red card just two minutes later. Playing a man down for the final 34 minutes, Sevilla dropped deep and absorbed pressure effectively. The irony was that their most dangerous moment came from a counter-attack through Stassin, whose 85th-minute goal nearly secured all three points for a ten-man side. Luis García Plaza himself collected a yellow card for dissent in the immediate aftermath of the red card.
What cost Sevilla was the inability to hold on across the final five minutes. After Stassin’s goal, Espanyol threw on Clemens Riedel and Quilindschy Hartman at the 86th minute and pushed bodies forward. The numerical advantage eventually told as Fernández found space to convert and deny the visitors what would have been a remarkable away win.
Player Ratings
Match Context
Standings
Head To Head
Verdict
The draw leaves Espanyol 11th in La Liga on four points, while Sevilla sit seventh on seven points after four games. Both sides will feel they left something on the table: Espanyol for failing to convert their territorial dominance until the very last moment, and Sevilla for conceding a late equaliser after holding on so well with ten men.