Sevilla v Fenerbahçe Live Commentary & Result, 09/03/2023, UEFA Europa League

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Jorge Jesus though will be disappointed with how his team failed to keep this one on an even keel, but they are not out of the mix yet. The second leg awaits, and they will hope they can cement a famous turnaround.

Jorge Sampaoli was busy pumping his fists up and down the touchline during that second half, and it is easy to see why. His team, in adding that second goal in particular, have given themselves a lot of breathing room for their away trip.

Second-half goals for Joan Jordan and Erik Lamela put Sevilla in the box seat for the Europa League quarter-finals after victory in the first leg of their last-16 time. The competition's most storied side take another step closer to success, but there's still a job to do on the road next week. At full-time, it finishes Sevilla 2-0 Fenerbahce.

90' + 5' FULL-TIME: SEVILLA 2-0 FENERBAHCE

90' + 3' The strike breaks through the wall but loses momentum and is an easy save in the end.

90' + 2' Fenerbahce will have a late free-kick here, just outside the Sevilla box. It's a good set-piece opportunity for them in the final stages.

90' We're in for five added minutes here.

Rafa Mir

Y. En-Nesyri

87' Mir takes the place of En-Nesyri for Sevilla.

A. Güler

İ. Kahveci

87' Fenerbahce also make a change, adding Guler into the mix.

Suso

M. Acuña

87' Suso comes on for Acuna as Sevilla seek to ease their way to the finish line now.

I. Rakitić

Assist

85' Rakitic is the man who laid on that pass, after cutting around the defence and moving it intelligently inside. It's a lovely assist.

E. Lamela

Goal

85' GOAL! SEVILLA 2-0 FENERBAHCE! Lamela doubles the lead for the hosts with a lovely left-footed strike. That makes it a mountain for the visitors next week.

B. Osayi-Samuel

Lincoln

82' Lincoln meanwhile departs with an injury for the visitors, and sees Osayi-Samuel take his place.

João Pedro

E. Valencia

82' Valencia makes way for Fenerbahce, with Pedro on in his place.

81' Here come a few more changes for the visitors, as we enter the closing stages in this contest.

79' Lamela chops an effort wide of the mark after Sevilla cut around the visitors at the back and feed him in. The hosts miss a chance to add some extra security to this score.

76' Rossi sees a shot blocked and Fenerbahce slump in on themselves. The visitors are coming up shy here.

75' Fenerbahçe are unbeaten in their last seven games in the UEFA Europa League (W4 D3), and could equal their longest run without defeat in the competition (eight games – October 2015-March 2016).

72' With a second leg to come, Fenerbahce will know that keeping this at a one-goal deficit may well be considered a result. They will have hove advantage next week, which will be a boon.

E. Lamela

Bryan Gil

70' Sevilla also replace Gil with Lamela.

L. Ocampos

Óliver Torres

70' Sevilla make the next change, with Ocampos replacing Torres.

69' Too high! Arao almost squares things for the visitors now, but he cannot keep the ball down. Sevilla escape.

M. Batshuayi

J. King

67' The visitors also bring on Batshuayi for King.

D. Rossi

Miguel Crespo

67' Fenerbahce now pull Crespo and introduce Rossi in a change.

65' Navas now chops down Crespo. After that goal, the chances have dried up as Sevilla operate to preserve their lead more than double it.

62' Valencia comes in on Gil and the latter wins a free-kick for the foul. There's been a running battle so far and it is starting to get a little bitty out there.

60' An injury issue for Kahveci slows play down, though we resume in short order. Fenerbahce know they have plenty of work to do to dig themselves out of this one now, even at just a goal down.

58' The restart is delayed, presumably for VAR to ensure it has no problem with that finish. The goal stands and the roar goes up around the home fans.

Joan Jordán

Goal

56' GOAL! SEVILLA 1-0 FENERBAHCE! What a sublime strike from Jordan! The substitute proves an inspired addition as he latches onto a free ball outside the box and drills a low sweet strike home, with a kindly deflection to help it on its way. The hosts hit the front!

54' The pressure the hosts are exerting is getting close to complete dominance right now. Whatever has been said at half-time for the hosts appears to have done the trick. Or have Fenerbahce just run out of steam?

52' Fenerbahce are able to push back into midfield for now, easing the pressure on their lines. Sevilla are looking considerably sharper right now, it must be said.

50' Nianzou forces a save now, as back-to-back corners keep the visitors under the pump. This is a bright start to the second half from the hosts.

48' Sevilla also draw first in attempts after the break. Torres skews wide following a corner and Fenerbahce can breathe an easy sigh of relief.

Joan Jordán

Alex Telles

46' Sevilla have made a half-time change, with Jordan on for Telles.

46' We're back underway for the second half in this clash. Will either side seize the advantage or will we be set for a first-leg draw?

Fenerbahçe have lost eight of their previous nine games against Spanish sides in European competition, with the only exception being a 3-2 home win over Sevilla in February 2008.

It's all square at the interval in Spain, as Sevilla and Fenerbahce remain goalless in the Europa League last-16. Neither side has found a breakthrough yet, but with the chances they are generating, once cannot be too far away. At half-time, it is Sevilla 0-0 Fenerbahce.

45' + 3' HALF-TIME: SEVILLA 0-0 FENERBAHCE

Bryan Gil

Yellow Card

45' + 3' Gil is also shown a yellow card for his part in the mini-melee.

F. Kadıoğlu

Yellow Card

45' + 3' Tensions have boiled over in the closing stages here and both sets of players are massed with some staff on the sidelines. The referee finds his culprits and books Kadioglu.

45' King can't quite believe that! Fenerbahce push a free-kick in and the defenders fall off him again for an effective open header. He puts it over, and comfortably so. Two added minutes to come.

42' Valencia has another half-chance now, but even if he had kept himself in place to execute it, the flag would have denied him. Just a few minutes to the break now.

40' Telles wrenches a comfortable Fenerbahce effort with something of a soft strike from relative distance. He won't cause too much trouble with those efforts.

38' After the end-to-end efforts earlier in this game, the tempo feels like it has dropped for a moment. Both teams have been going full-pelt so far.

36' Another injury break, this time for Lincoln, allows both sides to regroup and take stock of their situation as we weave closer towards the half-time break.

34' Telles takes a knock now and will need some treatment. Kadioglu follows up with a crack on goal shortly afterwards, and is frustrated by his own wastefulness.

32' Valencia almost successfully volleys a strike home as Sevilla are flustered at a Fenerbahce corner. This game might be opening up a bit more now.

30' The visitors are enjoying plenty of ground down that left flank. Sevilla are looking a little loose in cutting off the counter-move there.

28' Oh, King will be kicking himself there! Having shrugged off his marker for the most part, he fluffs a one-on-one situation to put Fenerbahce in front in Spain.

26' Sevilla have won 45 of their 75 matches in the Europa League. Of teams with 50+ games played in the competition, only Arsenal have a better win percentage.

24' En-Nesyri now has a crack, this time with a header off the back of a corner opportunity. He drifts it wide to the right from the middle of the box and the visitors survive.

23' Rakitic! The Sevilla man lets fly with a 40-yard effort. It's well covered by Bayindir in the end, but that would have been a screamer of a finish if he'd nailed it.

20' King plays a dangerous ball into the box where Valencia is inches away from a decisive touch and what surely would have been the opening goal.

19' The hosts are furious as they feel it should have been a foul on Rakitic by Kahveci but the referee waves away their protests.

17' Sevilla are starting to knock the ball around but continue to be penned into their own half.

15' Fenerbache are pressing high to put the Sevilla back line under pressure and the hosts are struggling to break through.

13' Another opportunity for the hosts goes begging, with Valencia unable to hit the target.

9' It's the visitors who have started the game brighter and, if not for Dmitrovic, may have already fallen behind.

6' SAVE! A neat one-two opened space for Kadioglu to burst into the box but Dmitrovic saved with his feet to keep him at bay.

Alex Telles

Yellow Card

3' An early yellow card for Telles, who will be walking a tightrope for the remainder of the game.

1' We're underway in Seville!

SUBS: Mert Hakan Yandas, Diego Rossi, Arda Guler, Joao Pedro, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Michy Batshuayi, Jayden Oosterwolde, Miha Zajc, Ertugrul Cetin, Irfan Can Egribayat, Ismail Yuksek, Emre Mor.

FENERBAHCE (4-4-2): Altay Bayindir; Attila Szalai, Samet Akaydin, Serdar Aziz, Ferdi Kadioglu; Lincoln, Miguel Crespo, Willian Arao, Irfan Can Kahveci; Enner Valencia, Joshua King.

SUBS: Gonzalo Montiel, Suso, Joan Jordan, Rafa Mir, Yassine Bounou, Erik Lamela, Alberto Flores Lopez, Manu Bueno, Lucas Ocampos.

SEVILLA (5-3-2): Marko Dmitrovic; Alex Telles, Nemanja Gudelj, Tanguy Nianzou, Marcos Acuna, Jesus Navas; Ivan Rakitic, Fernando, Oliver Torres; Youssef En-Nesyri, Bryan Gil.

Sevilla are currently struggling in La Liga as they sit outside of the relegation zone only on goal difference, while Fenerbahce remain second in the Turkish Super Lig, behind Galatasaray.

Hello, and welcome to live coverage of the round-of-16 first-leg knockout tie between Sevilla and Fenerbahce in the UEFA Europa League.

Sevilla v Fenerbahçe Live Commentary, 09/03/2023

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