Sevilla 2 - 0 Valencia - Negredo And Alfaro Sink Ten-Men Valencia

Gregorio Manzano is very much a man who lives by the sword and dies by the sword. A manager who is as tactically astute as they come, it’s no surprise he is known in the game as ‘El profesor’. Manzano almost got Mallorca into this seasons Champions League, while he has turned things around at Sevilla since the departure of Antonio Alvarez. Tonight, aided by their managers risky second-half tactics, Sevilla banished the memories of their 5-0 Camp Nou nightmare last week to hand Valencia a deserved 2-0 defeat.

Unai Emerys Valencia side had travelled to the Sanchez Pizjuan desparate to end a run of disappointing results in the league which has seen them drop like a stone from the Liga summit. They are now four games without a win in the league, and after referee Iturralde Gonzalez had harshly sent off Turkish midfielder Mehmet Topal on 25 minutes, ‘Los Che’ were always going to be hard pushed to get anything from this match.

Sevilla started the match in 7th position, and were determined from the off to prove to the watching world that they were still a team capable of challenging for the Champions League spots. The two Diegos, Capel and Perotti, reeked havoc down the wings, stretching Valencia to breaking point and allowing teammates Renato and Frederic Kanoute plenty of time and space to work openings from the middle.

The match reached half-time all square, and it only took 7 second half minutes for Gregorio Manzano to decide enough was enough. Off came holding midfielder Offi Romaric and on came Alvaro Negredo, to create a three-pronged attack with Luis Fabiano and Kanoute. It only took a minute for the gamble to pay off. Martin Caceres, who had a cracking match in defence, midfield and attack, let fly from 35 yards and although it appeared young keeper Vicente Guaita had pushed to ball to safety, Negredo stole in the smash the rebound through his legs. It was cruel luck for Guaita who had only just come on for the injured Cesar, but instant vindication for Negredo who has struggled to convince the local support of his worth upfront.

From then on it was one-way traffic as a rampant Sevilla ruthlessly set about Valencia. Fabiano and Capel both struck the woodwork, before substitute Alfaro made sure of the points with a point-blank header following a superb move involving Kanoute and right-back Dabo. So as Valencia continue their freefall down La Liga, Sevilla maintain their climb in the opposite direction and finish the matchday in sixth place.