Chidera Ejuke delivered an impressive performance, while Akor Adams remained an unused substitute as Sevilla boosted their survival hopes with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Real Sociedad, Soccernet.ng reports.
The decisive moment of the clash came early in the second half when Alexis Sánchez fired into the roof of the net in the 50th minute after being set up by Neal Maupay.
The win lifts Sevilla out of the relegation zone and leaves them just a single point above the drop with only four matches remaining.
Sevilla vs Real Sociedad: What happened?
Sevilla went into the game in the bottom three but knew a win would lift them out of the drop zone following Levante’s 5-1 defeat to Villarreal earlier in the weekend.
Ejuke was handed his fifth La Liga start of the season and his first since the arrival of Luis García Plaza at the club, while Maupay was preferred in attack ahead of Adams for the second consecutive match.
Sevilla started brightly and nearly took the lead in the 16th minute, but Ejuke was denied by a fine save from Real Sociedad goalkeeper Álex Remiro. The Nigerian winger remained lively throughout the first half, moving past defenders with ease although both sides went into the break level.
Five minutes after halftime, the breakthrough arrived when Maupay slipped a pass through to Sánchez, who made no mistake with a great finish into the net.
Sevilla thought they had doubled their lead late on through Lucien Agoumé, but the goal was ruled out for offside. In the end, Sánchez’s strike proved enough to secure a huge result for them.
Super Eagles player ratings: Ejuke impresses, Adams left on bench
Super Eagles forward Chidera Ejuke was one of the standout performers on the night, while Akor Adams was surprisingly left on the bench throughout the encounter.
Despite being Sevilla’s top scorer this season with eight La Liga goals, Adams was not introduced in the second half, despite the record Europa League winners searching for more goals to kill the tie.
In contrast, Ejuke delivered a superb display on the left flank. The 28-year-old was a constant threat to the defenders with his pace and he completed five successful dribbles, the most in the match. He also recorded the most touches in the opposition box (5), took three shots, which also ranks as the joint-most in the clash and made 11 recoveries.
Ejuke also won eight duels and his brilliant performance earned him a 7.3 rating on SofaScore, one of the highest in the game, before he was taken off in stoppage time.
Unity Cup focus: Will Eric Chelle hand invitations to Ejuke and Adams?
Nigeria will defend their Unity Cup title later this month in London, with head coach Eric Chelle looking to give fringe players the opportunity to shine at the tournament.
Ejuke’s recent form could strengthen his case for a call-up and hand him a big role in the absence of the regular stars. Adams, meanwhile, faces uncertainty after limited involvement in recent matches.
For now, both players will hope to finish the season strongly and help Sevilla survive relegation, with only four games remaining in the Spanish top-flight league.
