First-half woes haunting Sevilla's survival hopes

Sevilla’s recent form has gone right down the khazi, with a measly 12 points from a possible 45 since their Barcelona demolition job earlier in the season.

First-half nightmares

The Nervión outfit are making a habit of shooting themselves in the foot before the half-time oranges. While early-season Sevilla managed to keep things tight in opening periods, their recent performances tell a different story:

• Until matchday 16, they’d conceded just 7 goals in first halves and went into the break trailing in only four matches
• In their last seven fixtures alone, they’ve shipped 6 first-half goals and trailed at the interval four times (against Real Madrid, Levante, Elche and Girona)

This dramatic shift has left Matías Almeyda’s men constantly chasing games - a situation that exposes their tactical limitations when forced to play on the front foot.

Playing catch-up

Almeyda himself acknowledged the issue after their last-gasp draw against Girona: “In the first part we did very badly, the atmosphere changes and it gets complicated.”

While they’ve managed comeback results against Elche and Athletic Bilbao recently, these are exceptions rather than the rule. The pattern is clear - when Sevilla go behind, they’re forced into a proactive approach that doesn’t suit their strengths.

Nervous at the Pizjuán

The anxiety is particularly palpable at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán, where home advantage has become more of a psychological burden. The players seem to be carrying the weight of expectation from the first whistle, resulting in tentative starts that opponents are exploiting.

If Sevilla are to pull away from relegation trouble, they desperately need to rediscover their early-season resilience in opening periods. Building from a position of calm rather than desperation would not only improve their points tally but also give them a fighting chance in matches where they’ve recently looked second best.