Pacheco gutted over 'inexcusable lapse' that gifted Sevilla equaliser
Alavés defender Jon Pacheco rues the costly defensive error that allowed 10-man Sevilla to salvage a point despite playing most of the match a man down.
Alavés defender Jon Pacheco left Seville with a bitter taste after his side failed to capitalise on a numerical advantage for almost the entire match.
Deflection Dejection
Talk about your Sunday league blunders! Pacheco couldn’t hide his frustration after Alavés could only manage a draw against Sevilla, who played most of the match with 10 men. The central defender was particularly gutted about the “inexcusable lapse” that allowed the hosts to score right before half-time.
Adding insult to injury, Sow’s strike took a wicked deflection off Pacheco himself before finding the net - proper salt in the wound, that.
Second Half Push
Pacheco revealed the dressing room chat wasn’t exactly tea and biscuits: “After the break we needed to wake up,” he admitted. The Basque defender explained how Alavés thought they’d turned things around with what would have been a 2-1 goal, only for it to be chalked off for either offside or handball.
“We’ve earned a point but we wanted more,” lamented the centre-back, clearly feeling they’d missed a trick against depleted opposition.
Defensive Sevilla
To his credit, Pacheco didn’t go in two-footed on his teammates’ performance. He acknowledged that “the opponent plays too” and explained how Sevilla’s approach changed dramatically after going down to ten men.
The hosts “dropped back” according to Pacheco, implementing a low block that proved difficult for Alavés to break down despite their man advantage. It was a classic case of parking the bus, and unfortunately for the visitors, they couldn’t find the right gear to drive through it.
One point when three were up for grabs - that’s about as useful as a chocolate teapot when you’re trying to climb the table.