In 2004/05 it was Real Betis.
The season after that, it was Osasuna.
2009/10 saw Mallorca surprise many.
In 2011/12 Malaga did the same.
Real Sociedad did it the year after.
Last season, it was Athletic Bilbao.
I’m referring to the ‘outsider’ in La Liga. The other team besides Barcelona and Real Madrid to finish in the top 5. Atletico Madrid and Villarreal have made it 5 times in the last 10 seasons. Valencia have finished there 6 times.
The team with the most consistent finish within the top 5, besides Real and Barca, is Sevilla – they have finished up there 7 times. They’ve also consistently collected at least 50 points in a season. That’s usually the magic number for a team to qualify for European competition the next season. Their worst position in those 10 years was 9th. Their best was 3rd, most recently in the 08/09 season. At this stage of the Spanish competition, the Seville-based side find themselves in the dizzying heights of the runner-up spot, trailing Barca by 3 points, ahead of Real by 1 point. You have to start wondering if this is purely their own doing or the fault of other teams dropping points?
I think it’s a bit of both. But good on them for taking advantage of the other teams’ slip-ups. It’s perhaps the only way past the regular top 2 in the league and Atleti these days, unfortunately.
So far, Sevilla have only conceded 2 league goals at home, 8 in total, winning 6 and losing 1 match. Bearing in mind they’re also currently defending their UEFA Europa League crown, that is quite a feat. In 2008/09 at this stage of the competition, they’d won 5, lost once and let in 5 goals.
Sevilla are also on a 12-match unbeaten streak in the league at home, which ties with Barca’s own run. They are only bettered by Atletico Madrid who are undefeated in 24 league matches; their last home defeat dates back to May 2013 against the Catalan giants. Could all this signal a shift of fortunes at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan this season? I certainly hope so.
Despite losing last season’s outstanding player in Ivan Rakitic, who topped the charts in assists and passing success for the club, Los Rojiblancos held on to their Colombian goal machine Carlos Bacca. The departure of Marko Marin, Alberto Moreno and Diego Perotti was expected to hurt Emery’s men too. But the club invested wisely by bringing in combative midfielder Ever Banega from Valencia, winger Aleix Vidal and Polish international Grzegorz Krychowiak. Barca wonderkid Gerard Deulofeu was also brought in on loan. If Sevilla are to continue on their rich vein of form, the former Everton loanee could prove to be vital in making Emery’s dream come true, to lead Sevilla back to the Champions League. The Spaniard has already contributed 4 assists and a goal this campaign, besides being the best dribbler of the ball for the club, so far.
It’s Sevilla’s best start in 30 years. Yes, there was that blip against Atletico Madrid at the Vicente Calderon. Let that be a lesson learnt for Emery and his squad come the second half of the season. Sevilla still looked well-coordinated and solid in spite of the result. They have been for the past 8 matches. If they can avoid repeating the mistakes they made that day, things could be looking up for the 1945/46 Spanish league champions this time around. Obviously, nobody is expecting them to pip the top dogs or even “do an Atletico.” Finishing 2nd would be a pleasant surprise. But at least we can look forward to them perhaps winning the other league competition, the one between Villarreal, Valencia and even maybe Atleti. There’s also the added bonus of returning to the Champions League if they finish in the top 4 too, following a 4-year absence. If Emery could do it with Los Che back in 2009/10, why not with Sevilla?
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