Juan Iglesias's late header gives Sevilla a 1-0 win over Valencia

Sevilla needed until the 81st minute to break Valencia down, but once Juan Iglesias got his head to a Giorgi Kochorashvili cross, there was no way back for the visitors. The goal settled a game Sevilla had controlled without ever pulling clear, and moved the home side up to three wins from their opening five.

It was a frustrating night for Valencia going forward. They had more of the ball — 54.3% possession to Sevilla's 45.7% — but almost none of the chances, managing just three shots all match and not one of them on target. Sevilla, by contrast, had 13 attempts, and it was only a matter of when, not if, one of them would count. Kochorashvili's delivery from the right found Iglesias unmarked at the back post, and his header gave goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski no chance.

Match stats

Line-ups

Sevilla lined up in a 4-4-2 with Vlachodimos in goal, Iglesias, Castrín, Salas and Suazo across the back, Sierra, Agoumé, Fofana and Correia in midfield, and Romero and Stassin up front. Valencia set up with Dimitrievski behind Martínez, Tárrega, Pepelu and Gayà, with Otorbi, Dieng, Ugrinic and Sato in midfield, and Danjuma and Guerra as the front two.

Sevilla climb, Valencia still searching

Sevilla went into the round sixth on 7 points, having beaten Rayo Vallecano at home and won away at Athletic Club, before a home defeat to Atlético Madrid and a draw away at Espanyol. This win took them back into the top half comfortably. Valencia's season, by contrast, had already gone the other way: a draw with Celta Vigo on the opening weekend was followed by two straight defeats, and this loss made it three in four without a win.

Contrasting trajectories since

Sevilla's win over Valencia sat in the middle of a mixed opening stretch. They had started the season with back-to-back wins, 2-1 at home to Rayo Vallecano and 3-1 away at Athletic Club, before a 1-3 home defeat to Atlético Madrid and a 1-1 draw at Espanyol brought them back down to earth. Iglesias's header restored some momentum, and Sevilla followed it with another away win, 1-0 at Deportivo, before Barcelona beat them 1-3 at the Sánchez-Pizjuán in the next round. Seven matchdays in, Sevilla sit fifth with 13 points from four wins, a draw and two defeats, a goal difference of plus-one from 10 scored and 9 conceded — enough, as things stand, to hold the Europa League place, one spot outside LaLiga's four Champions League places.

Valencia's problems have been far more persistent. The 0-0 draw at home to Celta Vigo on the opening weekend was followed by defeats to Real Betis and away at Deportivo, then a 0-5 hammering by Barcelona, before this loss to Sevilla extended the run to four matches without a win. They finally found one, 1-0 away at Alavés, but a 2-3 home defeat to Real Sociedad the following round put them straight back to a single win in seven. Valencia sit 19th with 4 points, ahead only of bottom-placed Málaga, and are already deep in LaLiga's relegation zone with a season that has produced just one victory so far.