The image of Manolo Reina saving En-Nesyri in the last moment of the game somehow sums up a game, almost a season, of two teams to which the final goalless draw is not worth much. To reach the Champions League, Sevilla will still need a point against Atlético or Athletic, or for Betis not to win any of the two remaining matches. Mallorca will pray this Thursday to San Sebastián: if Cádiz wins there, it will be four points away from salvation, almost a chimera.
Reina appeared as the great novelty of Javier Aguirre in a line-up with many changes in which he received six goals against Granada, protected with three central defenders and Battaglia ahead. The ex-sevillista Sergio Rico stayed on the bench to leave him the witness and, afterwards, the label of hero to the Malaga goalkeeper, who had not played for several months and apart from another one-on-one save against Martial not much more work last saving intervention but he was always sure and transmitted confidence under the sticks.
Sevilla, which has 10 draws in its last 16 league games, For weeks it has seemed like a team between melted and seized, unable to create offensive play regularly. The tension is cut, it was cut at the Sánchez-Pizjuán despite a first chance by Rafa Mir that Salva Sevilla took under the sticks. Mallorca threatened in some against but did not need much more until the second half came, in which Muriqi, a relief on the ball out, almost hit Bono with a header.
The Nervionenses locked up Mallorca in the last 20 minutes, with En-Nesyri finishing almost everything from above, but they managed to resist the vermilion. Not even the leadership of Papu Gómez, who took control of the winning goal, managed to completely throw the Balearic team into disarray. The Argentine, in addition to distributing game, he took the ball from Maffeo that could have been the winning goal and the visitors’ hope.
