It was indeed a huge surprise to see Sevilla bench Nigerian winger Chidera Ejuke for their La Liga opener against Las Palmas, and the decision backfired as the Andalusian side were held to a 2-2 draw.
Sevilla’s La Liga campaign got off to a disappointing start with a 2-2 draw against Las Palmas, Footballrover reports.
The game was even more frustrating for Nigerian fans as Super Eagles stars Chidera Ejuke and Kelechi Iheanacho were nowhere to be found.
A lot of Nigerians were hoping to see the Super Eagles duo make their debut in La Liga, but all hopes were completely dashed.
While Ejuke was somehow named on the bench, he never got a chance to shine, watching the entire match from the sidelines.
Hereās how we line up to face Las Palmas š pic.twitter.com/GhgaX4BxME
— Sevilla FC (@SevillaFC_ENG) August 16, 2024
And as for Iheanacho, he was completely omitted from the squad.
This surprising decision left many wondering if the duo’s absence played a role in Sevilla’s failure to secure a win.
Kelechi Iheanacho
Despite dominating possession and creating more chances, Sevilla found themselves trailing twice.
Own goals from Alex Suarez and Tanguy Nianzou made sure Las Palmas held their visitors to a 1-1 draw heading into the interval.
āøļø Level at the break.#LasPalmasSevillaFC pic.twitter.com/mmpDQzHJsQ
— Sevilla FC (@SevillaFC_ENG) August 16, 2024
Juanlu Sanchez’s strike then put Sevilla back in front. However, Sandro Ramirez’s equaliser denied the visitors all three points.
The bold gamble by Sevilla manager Francisco JosĆ© GarcĆa Pimienta ultimately failed to pay off as the team struggled to create clear-cut chances in the absence of the in-form winger.
š° An opening day draw. #LasPalmasSevillaFC pic.twitter.com/9stQSV13rp
— Sevilla FC (@SevillaFC_ENG) August 16, 2024
One might wonder, could it be that Sevilla used Chidera Ejuke to farm engagement throughout the preseason, only to leave him on the bench for the entire 90 minutes in the season opener?
But then, what’s next for Ejuke and Iheanacho? Will they be given a chance to prove their worth in the coming matches?
Sevilla fans will be hoping so as the team looks to bounce back against Villarreal next Friday.
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