Seville (Spain), Jan 22 (IANS) Spanish football club Sevilla won 2-0 in the first leg of their Copa del Rey quarterfinal against Mirandes, the only second division team left in the competition.
The home side led 1-0 less than half-way through the first period and had the better of the chances throughout the match at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan here on Thursday. Even so, the La Liga squad lacked fluidity with the ball and left it to the 93rd minute before getting the insurance goal, reports Efe.
Mirandes, which leads the second division in scoring, pressed hard for the goal they saw as the only way to give themselves a fighting chance in next week’s second leg in Miranda.
The visitors created the first opportunity, but Fran Carnicer’s shot went over the net. Sevilla’s response came within minutes and Steven N’Zonzi connected in the 20th minute to make it 1-0.
Mirandes stuck to their offensive game plan and nearly equalised, just shy of the half-hour mark as Marco Sagalli hit the post.
The underdogs kept up the pressure in the second half, preventing Sevilla from taking control of play even as they created possibilities for the hosts on the counterattack.
Still, Sevilla had their moments and Mirandes goalkeeper Raul Fernandez was forced to make important stops on Jose Antonio Reyes, Daniel Carrico and Michael Krohn-Dehli while Carlos Moreno tested home side keeper David Soria.
The fans remained on pins and needles until Victor Machin’s scored deep into stoppage time to make the final score 2-0.