Sevilla defeated Athletic Club 3-1 at San Mames in LaLiga EA Sports on Saturday evening following two early controversial incidents and a red card for home defender Yuri Berchiche.
Visiting manager Luis Garcia Plaza saw his side score three times through Oso, Cherif Ejuke, and Isaac Romero before Aitor Paredes pulled a goal back for the hosts in Bilbao.
San Mames, located in northern Spain, serves as the stadium for Athletic Club, one of Spanish football's most established teams. Sevilla FC, based in Andalusia, entered the fixture seeking their first major momentum of the new league season under Garcia Plaza.
Before kickoff, tension flared in the stands when Aymeric Laporte, Unai Simon, and Nico Williams presented a replica of the World Cup trophy to the crowd on behalf of the Royal Spanish Football Federation. Deafening noise filled the stadium as applause mixed with loud whistles from supporters.
Members of the Grada de Animacion fan section chanted against those who did not jump, calling them Spanish, while local supporter group Athleticen Alde Bustiko Gara had previously requested that stadium video scoreboards avoid showing images of the players in Spain national team shirts.
Early red card and opening goal
The match turned sharply when referee Cesar Soto Grado issued a direct red card to Athletic left-back Yuri Berchiche for a foul on Miguel Sierra as the Sevilla attacker broke towards goal. The decision provoked immediate outrage throughout the home stands.
Just three minutes after the dismissal, Sevilla took the lead when Oso pushed the ball into an empty net. The goal sparked intense protests from Athletic players, who argued that Ure had fouled goalkeeper Unai Simon while applying pressure before the finish.
The early setback created a difficult scenario for Athletic manager Edin Terzic, the former Borussia Dortmund coach making his home debut at San Mames. Athletic Club attempted to adjust their tactical setup to compensate for playing down a man.
Operating with ten men, Athletic attempted to rebuild control through their central midfielders. Their closest opportunities to equalise before the break came from a corner kick header and a weak shot from Inaki Williams following a passing combination with Alex Berenguer and Oihan Sancet.
Second half Sevilla dominance
Sevilla seized firm control of the contest immediately after the restart after Garcia Plaza introduced three tactical substitutions at halftime. The changes yielded two quick goals within five minutes to put the result beyond reach.
In the 50th minute, Cherif Ejuke received a pass from Isaac Romero and lifted a delicate chipped finish over Simon to double Sevilla's advantage.
Shortly afterwards, Isaac Romero capitalised on a severe defensive error by Athletic defender Jesus Areso to score Sevilla's third goal, bringing total silence to the San Mames crowd.
Terzic introduced Laporte and Nico Williams off the bench in an effort to inject creativity, but Athletic struggled to find fluidity. Aitor Paredes reduced the deficit in the 70th minute with a volley from a loose ball at the second post, though the strike came too late to spark a comeback.
The defeat leaves Athletic Club facing early questions in their campaign, while Sevilla celebrate a surprising and convincing away victory under Garcia Plaza.
