Almeyda Reflects on Defeat Against Mallorca

Matías Almeyda spoke to the media following Sevilla’s defeat at Son Moix, where he analyzed the match against Mallorca. He noted, “In the first half, we fell behind but managed to equalize. We displayed order and determination. However, in the second half, we made several mistakes with passes and lost track of our markers. We allowed too many errors against a direct rival, and such mistakes come at a high cost. We must persist in our efforts and continue working, but right now, we find ourselves a step behind.”

“The second half pains me greatly because the opponent capitalized on our avoidable mistakes in crosses and second balls. These are issues we’ve discussed, practiced, and reviewed, yet we must continue to address them—there is no other choice,” he added. Almeyda believes that “small details become significant when the game ends this way. We cannot dwell on our misfortunes because we came to improve upon our first-half performance.”

On Maupay’s performance, he stated, “He played well and scored a great goal, but the dynamics of the match shifted afterwards. We struggled significantly in our defensive phase.”

Regarding the league standings, Almeyda emphasized, “We need to insist and work much harder. We will experience ups and downs. We must remain composed, to some extent, to correct our course, knowing what is at stake and recognizing our lack of consistency.”

Addressing the penalty and the seven goals conceded to Mallorca, he remarked, “We are all somewhat in the same situation. We are not superior to Mallorca, and that was reflected in the result, not in our gameplay. The penalty has already been taken; there is no point in discussing it further. It’s done.”

When reflecting on the second half, he said, “We are always mindful of the points, but that is not my primary concern. I am more troubled by repeating similar mistakes that we have corrected, reviewed, and discussed. This lack of concentration at this stage is troubling. We understand what is at stake. We are giving too much away to direct rivals. In the first half, the team performed well, challenging the opponent, who is strong on their home turf. They took advantage of our errors. We must maintain our focus for the full 95 minutes.”

In closing, Almeyda noted, “We have been fighting since the first match. Leaving with the pain of having taken a step back is tough. We came here to climb the standings, but that does not alter our mindset—neither a point, three points, nor negative points change our goal. We know what we are fighting for, and this will continue until the end. If the opponent surpasses us for various reasons, so be it, but it cannot be due to our own mistakes.”