Sevilla staged a dramatic comeback on Tuesday evening as Joaquin Correa scored late on in the Copa Del Rey at the Wanda Metropolitano.
Diego Costa opened the scoring in the first-leg of the quarter-final clash as he bundled home in the 73rd minute. Sevilla were excellent all evening however and a Moyà own-goal dragged the visitors level with only ten minutes to go. A mistake from Atlético opened the door for Joaquin Correa in the dying minutes and he clinically finished to snatch the advantage for the visitors.
Keepers come out on top in the opening exchanges
Sevilla were the first to carve out an opportunity on a chilly evening in Madrid as Pablo Sarabia’s half-volley drifted just wide of the upright. The hosts however attacked strongly from then on and it took an eye-catching save from Sergio Rico to keep the scores level. Diego Costa found space in the box and attempted head home from only yards out. The Sevilla stopper though reacted well to tip the ball over the bar.
Moyà in the Atlético goal was not to be outdone however as he denied Joaquin Correa one-on-one. Sébastien Corchia then tried his luck from just outside the area for the visitors but his shot went just wide of the post.
Level pegging at half-time
Diego Costa then found more space in the box but could only put his right-footed drive straight into the arms of Rico. Sevilla continued to press as half-time drew closer. Defender Sergio Escudero then drew a spectacular save from Moyà as he thundered a shot in from at least 35 yards. The Spanish goalkeeper though somehow managed to paw the ball away from the top corner.
Both sides went in level at half-time after an extremely competitive opening period in Madrid.
Adrenaline-packed game and Costa pounces for Atléti
The second-half continued exactly where the first had left off; with plenty of chances. Diego Simeone though elected to make a change as he replaced Vitolo with Ángel Correa. The Argentine had an excellent chance after getting played through by Antoine Greizmann but got the ball stuck under his feet and the hosts cleared.
Despite Sevilla’s excellent attacking play, they were still vulnerable at the back and the hosts more than took advantage of that. Following a corner, the visitors failed to clear and the balled squirmed its way through to Costa. The former Chelsea striker controlled the ball and hammered a low shot into the back of the net to give Atlético the lead.
Sevilla smash-and-grab turns the game on its head
Just when it had looked like the hosts had secured a valuable first-leg advantage, Vincenzo Montella’s men were soon level. Substitute Jesús Navas tore down the wing looked as though he had put his cross straight at Moyà. The Spanish goalkeeper though could only deflect the ball into his own net, gifting Sevilla an equaliser.
It was another howler from the home side that allowed Sevilla to snatch a winning goal with only two minutes of normal time left to play. A mix-up in the Atlético defense saw Stefan Savić present the ball to Joaquin Correa. The 23-year-old Argentine raced through and finished coolly, securing a wonderful away win for Sevilla in the process.
Final Thoughts
When the hosts snatched the lead through Diego Costa, it looked as though they had all-but manufactured an excellent result for themselves. Diego Simeone’s men however were their own worst enemies. Two mistakes cost them two goals, and two away strikes at that.
However, that is not to take the result away from Sevilla. They showed plenty of ambition and attacking intent in Madrid and will be thrilled with what could potentially be an crucial first leg lead. It is surely going to be an intriguing tie at the Estadio Roman Sanchez Pizjuan.
Match Report
Atlético Madrid: Moyà (6), Juanfran (7), Savić (6), Godin (7), Hernández (7); Vitolo (5) (Correa (6), 45′), Fernandez (7), Ñíguez (6), Koke (7) (orres (N/A), 82′); Costa (7), Griezmann (5) (Ferreira Carrasco (6), 68′).
Sevilla: Rico (7); Escudero (7), Lenglet (7), Mercado (6), Corchia (6) (Geis (N/A), 90′); N’Zonzi (7), Banega (8); Correa (7), Vázquez (6) (Navas (7), 75′), Sarabia (6); Muriel (6) (Ben Yedder (N/A), 84′).
Goals: Costa (73′), Moyà OG (80′), Correa (88′)
Referee: Santiago Jaime Latre
Yellow Cards: Mercado (58′), Ñíguez (69′),
Red Cards: N/A
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