Analysis The numbers behind the result
Sevilla edge Valencia in tight contest with late Iglesias winner
Sevilla's narrow 1-0 win was justified by their superior chance creation, registering 1.8 xG to Valencia's 0.3 according to underlying data. Juan Antonio Iglesias' 81st-minute strike from Giorgi Kochorashvili's assist proved decisive, converting one of Sevilla's 4 shots on target from 13 total attempts (9 inside the box). Valencia's 54% possession yielded just 3 shots (none on target), exposing their lack of cutting edge despite territorial dominance.
The hosts were more proactive offensively, firing 4 blocked shots and forcing 3 saves from Dimitrievski while restricting Valencia to zero efforts on target. Sevilla's 6 corners to Valencia's 4 further underscored their threat from set-pieces. Defensively, both sides were disciplined with just 3 yellow cards combined, but Valencia's 12 fouls to Sevilla's 8 disrupted their rhythm as they chased the game late on.
The pivotal stat: Sevilla created 4 times more shots inside the box (9 vs 1), demonstrating their superior penetration against Valencia's passive buildup play.