Sevilla close on top four, Dnipro suffer setback
Sunday, May 17, 2015
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UEFA Europa League holders Sevilla FC posted a valuable comeback win that contrasted with a notable defeat for a much-changed FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk side.
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Sevilla FC engineered a second victory in the space of four days as they followed up their UEFA Europa League semi-final win at ACF Fiorentina with a potentially vital comeback success on Liga duty. There was no such joy for final opponents FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, however, as they suffered a loss that settled the Ukrainian title race.
• Sevilla FC 2-1 UD Almería
Vicente Iborra scored twice as Sevilla recorded what may prove a telling win, Unai Emery's team climbing within a point of Valencia CF after their rivals for Spain's fourth and final UEFA Champions League berth could only draw. The Andalusian outfit had to come back from behind to do it, though, second-bottom Almería going ahead through Thievy Bifouma on the half-hour in their desperate quest to avoid relegation.
Bifouma hit the post in the second half as well, but it was Sevilla who scored next, Iborra collecting the ball from Éver Banega to finish. The 27-year-old then doubled his tally six minutes later after Almería had failed to properly clear an Iago Aspas cross.
The Blanquirrojos round off their Liga campaign at Málaga CF next Saturday, when Valencia travel to face Almería.
• FC Dynamo Kyiv 1-0 FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk
Dnipro slipped to their second successive league defeat and in the process allowed victors Dynamo to be crowned Ukrainian champions for the first time since 2008/09. Coach Myron Markevych made nine changes to the lineup that saw off SSC Napoli on Thursday, with only Nikola Kalinić and Jaba Kankava retained, and the match was decided by Croatian full-back Domagoj Vida on 84 minutes after Roman Bezus had failed to convert a clear-cut chance.
"We had a look at the reserves tonight, to see if they can perform in such a serious match," said Markevych, whose team have lost just four league games all season. "To tell the truth, I didn't find out anything new. We have a restricted backbone and we have to strengthen our squad properly. Like I've said before, the Europa League final is our priority."
With two matches to go, Dnipro lie five points behind FC Shakhtar Donetsk in Ukraine's second and final UEFA Champions League berth, and they meet the Pitmen in their penultimate league fixture next Sunday. They also take on Shakhtar in the Ukrainian Cup semi-finals on Wednesday, trailing 1-0 after the home leg.
