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Granada logo
Copa del Rey | Round Five
Jan 8, 2015 at 7pm UK
 
Sevilla logo

1-2

Bangoura (90')
FT(HT: 0-1)
Deulofeu (32'), Gameiro (53')

Live Commentary: Granada 1-2 Sevilla - as it happened

Sports Mole brings you live text commentary of the Copa del Rey last-16 tie between Granada and Sevilla at Estadio Nuevo Los Carmenes
2

Sevilla have claimed a 2-1 victory over Granada in the first leg of their Copa del Rey last 16 tie this evening.

Gerard Deulofeu opened the scoring when he slotted in after Kevin Gameiro's shot had hit the post.

Eight minutes after the break Sevilla doubled their lead, as Gameiro finished from close range.

Lass Bangoura scored in stoppage time to give Granada some hope for next week's second leg.

Find out how the action unfolded below.


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Good evening everyone! If you're a fan of Spanish football then you are in for a treat this evening, as we have two tasty looking Copa del Rey last 16 ties. Later on at 9pm I will be bringing you the action from Barcelona's game against Elche, but we start in Andalusia, where Granada and Sevilla will be looking to get a decent result ahead of next week's second leg.

It has been a season to forget so far for tonight's hosts Granada, as they come into this game with just one victory in more than three months. That win came in the last round of the cup against Cordoba, but you have to go all the way back to September since they picked up three points in La Liga.

Meanwhile, Sevilla are in much better shape and have enjoyed a great first half to the season. They are fifth in La Liga and on course to defend their Europa League trophy, having easily made the knockout stages. It's been five years since they lifted the Copa del Rey, but this team certainly know a thing or two about cup competitions.

Right, we haven't got too long until kick off, so let's take a look at the players who will be stepping out onto the pitch in around 20 minutes.

GRANADA XI: Roberto, Foulquier, Mainz, Babin, Nyom, Sissoko, Yuste, Iturra, Eddy, Riki, Succes

SEVILLA XI: Rico, Diogo, Pareja, Arribas, Navarro, Krychowiak, Iborra, Deulofeu, Vitolo, Banega, Gameiro

GRANADA SUBS: Oier, Lass, Larsson, Ortuno, Sulayman, Clifford, Marcelo

SEVILLA SUBS: Barbosa, Reyes, Aspas, Kolodziejczak, Suarez, Aleix Vidal, Coke

TEAM NEWS: Sevilla have made a few changes to the team that beat Celta Vigo at the weekend. They are without Carlos Bacca, but there is still plenty of firepower, as Kevin Gameiro leads the attack, with Ever Banega, Vitolo and Gerard Deulofeu all starting behind him. Granada have also rotated, with Riki and Isaac Success both returning to start up front.

It's hard to make a case for Granada to progress to the quarter-finals given their recent run, and I'm sure that their priority this season will be league survival. Their alarming form in recent months has seen them drop to 19th in the table, where they are just two points above bottom club Elche.

Granada have managed to draw their last three at home, so that will certainly give their opponents tonight something to think about. It won't be easy for them considering that they struggle to find the net, with only 10 goals scored in their 17 league games. They have also had plenty of problems down the other end of the pitch and have conceded 28 goals already.

These teams have met each other once already this season and on that occasion Sevilla cruised to a 5-1 win. It was 1-1 at half time, before Los Rojiblancos took control of the game after the break. Sevilla have actually won the last four encounters between the sides and have lost just once to Granada in their history.

PREDICTION: We're just a couple of moments away from kick off, so it's time for a quick prediction. Granada are in desperate need of a result to give them a lift, but I don't see it coming today. Their opponents are in fine form and I expect them to progress from this tie. It may be tight, but I am going to tip Sevilla to claim a 1-0 win and put themselves in a commanding position ahead of next week's second leg.

KICKOFF! We are underway at Los Carmenes!

OFF THE BAR! Granada have made a decent start to the match, but it's Sevilla who threaten first. They caught their opponents on the break, with Deulofeu slipped in down the right. He then looked to find Gameiro in the middle, but his cross took a wicked deflection and ended up hitting the bar, before being cleared to safety.

The visitors are looking very dangerous now and Granada are struggling whenever the ball is around their box. They threaten again when Banega is slipped through and curls a low shot into the keeper's arms, but the flag was raised for offside.

Granada haven't seen much of the ball in the final third, but they have a chance when Success gets free down the right and finds Riki on the edge of the box. The striker then gets it on his left foot and tries his luck on goal, but he makes poor contact with the ball and lashes it well wide.

SHOT! Deulofeu is looking lively in the early stages of this game and the Barcelona loanee hammers in a long-range drive that the keeper's spills, but ends up grabbing at the second time of asking.

Sevilla are still very much in the ascendancy and it seems that one of their tactics this evening will be to attack down the right. They have already got in a few times and this time Diogo is just inches away from latching onto a ball over the top.

CHANCE! This is a really great chance for the hosts to get on the scoresheet. Riki does well to pick out Eddy just inside the box and the midfielder gets a quick shot away, but a last-ditch block sees the ball loop up and go just over the bar.

SHOT! Both teams are starting to create chances now and down the other end of the pitch Banega works some room on the edge of the box and looks to curl in a low strike. He doesn't quite get enough power on the ball and the keeper is able to claim, but it was a decent opening for the Argentine.

Granada will certainly be happy at how they have started the match and they have had a couple of dangerous moments. It will be vitally important that they don't push too many men forward to each attack, as Sevilla have shown the damage that they are capable of on the counter.

It's just gone a little quiet at the moment, with neither team able to keep hold of the ball for a long spell. A lot of the credit must be given for the hosts, who are putting their opponents under good pressure and going in with some committed challenges.

On a couple of occasions now the hosts have been awarded free kicks in some very promising positions. This time they are given a set piece to the left of the box, but with plenty of men forward to aim at, Riki delivers a poor ball that ends up drifting wide of the far post.

GOAL! Granada 0-1 Sevilla (Gerard Deulofeu)

I have mentioned the threat that Sevilla have posed on the break and they finish of a brilliant counter here. Deulofeu leads the charge through the midfield and he slips Gameiro through on goal. The Frenchman then places his effort onto the post, but Deulofeu continues his run to follow up and slot home the rebound.

Even at this early stage, it is hard to see how Granada will get back into this game. They look short on ideas and are very limp going forward. It seems that Sevilla are just happy to wait and pick them off whenever they get the chance and there are more goals in this for them.

YELLOW CARD! Yuste is the first player to pick up a booking for bringing down Diogo on the right-hand side.

YELLOW CARD! It's another booking for a Granada player, as Sissoko clumsily brings down Vitolo by the touchline.

YELLOW CARD! The game has become increasingly scrappy as we approach half time and Krychowiak is the third player in the space of five minutes to be shown a card.

CHANCE! What a huge moment this is for Granada to get back into the match. Iturra whips a fantastic cross into the six-yard box, where Succes arrives unmarked to meet it, but somehow the striker ends up heading the ball over the bar. He really should have put that one in the back of the net and it would have made such a difference, with half time just moments away.

HALF-TIME: Granada 0-1 Sevilla

The whistle blows for half time and it's Sevilla who lead in this Copa del Rey tie. Gerard Deulofeu's goal is the difference between the sides and it is looking increasingly likely that Los Rojiblancos will be reaching the quarter-finals.

Let's take a look at the statistics from the first half. It's been very even in terms of possession, with both sides seeing 50% of the ball. The two teams have also had five attempts on goal each, but Granada are yet to hit the target with any of their efforts.

Granada hardly posed a threat for much of the half, but they should have scored just before the break, when Isaac Success headed over from close range. It remains to be seen if they will create such a good chance again, as most of their attacking play has been lethargic and without any real threat.

Before the second half begins in Granada, let me remind you that our Copa del Rey coverage will continue at 9pm when Barcelona take on Elche at Camp Nou. Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar will all be playing, so there should be plenty of excitement in store!

Sevilla take the kick off and get the second half underway at Los Carmenes!

SHOT! The visitors have made a commanding start to the second half and they come close when a free kick is only cleared to Krychowiak on the edge of the box. The Pole then flashes in a low strike, but it goes inches wide of the post.

YELLOW CARD! Iborra is the second Sevilla man to go into the referee's notebook.

GOAL! Granada 0-2 Sevilla (Kevin Gameiro)

It's been all Sevilla in this second half and they have now doubled their lead. The hosts fail to deal with a freek kick into their box and when the ball is headed into the path of Gameiro, the striker slides in to finish from close range.

Granada are looking deflated at the moment and a comeback seems increasingly unlikely. They have squandered possession far too cheaply and can't get the ball out of their own half.

Out of nothing, Granada have a decent chance when Riki pinches the ball in the midfield. The striker charges forward and has Success ahead of him, but his final ball is poor and goes straight into the gloves of the keeper.

SUBSTITUTION: The hosts make a change, with Sissoko heading off and Bangoura coming on to make his debut for the club.

CHANCE! Well, Granada have hardly been in this game, but they have had another great chance to get on the scoresheet. This time Marreh is picked out at the back post from Riki's free kick, but his header back across goal drops just wide, with Babin unable to stretch and apply a finishing touch.

SUBSTITUTION: Sevilla make their first change of the night, with Aspas coming on for Banega.

CHANCE! How many more huge opportunities are Granada going to miss this evening? It's Riki who should be hitting the target when he is found at the back post. He has time and space to compose himself, but ends up lashing a poor effort wide.

SUBSTITUTION: The visitors make another change, as Vidal comes on for Vitolo.

The hosts have certainly been posing more of a threat since falling two behind, with Sevilla taking their foot slightly off the gas. Unai Emery won't want his players to relax too much, with a place in the quarter-finals very much within their grasp.

SUBSTITUTION: Granada have made their final change of the evening, with youngster Aboagye coming on for Riki.

SUBSTITUTION: Sevilla also make a change, as Kolodziejczak replaces Pareja.

SAVE! Aspas has scored plenty of goals in the cup this season and he almost grabs a third for Sevilla tonight. The man on loan from Liverpool is picked out by Deulofeu's wonderful cross from the right, but he ends up directing his effort straight at the keeper from a few yards out.

CHANCE! Well, Aspas should have found the net a couple of minutes ago and he has another huge chance to score here. Following a quick break, he is picked out unmarked inside the box by Gameiro and has just the keeper to beat. He gets the ball onto his left foot and a goal looks a certainty, but he ends up curling a strike wide of the far post.

Sevilla are enjoying plenty of the ball at the moment, as they look to see out the rest of the match. They are still creating plenty of chances, with Deulofeu and Gameiro getting free down the flanks at will and it would be no surprise to see them grab a third goal before the end.

Granada haven't threatened for a while, but Aboagye does well when he gets in down the left and fires a low ball across the box. Sevilla manage to clear the danger and then moments later Success drills a strike into the side netting from a tight angle.

We are going to have three minutes of stoppage time.

CHANCE! Aspas has only been on the pitch for around half an hour and he should have had a hat-trick. He is slipped in over the top and again faces the keeper one-on-one, but he places his low shot straight into Roberto's arms.

GOAL! Granada 1-2 Sevilla (Lass Bangoura)

What a way to mark your debut! Granada win a free kick on the edge of the box and Bangoura hammers a powerful strike into the corner. That goal will give them something to play for in the second leg next week.

FULL-TIME: Granada 1-2 Sevilla

So, Sevilla have managed to record a 2-1 victory this evening to give themselves a great advantage ahead of next week's second leg. That's all for our coverage here, but stick with us as we head to the Camp Nou for Barcelona's clash against Elche!

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Sevilla's Argentinian midfielder Ever Banega celebrates after scoring during the Spanish league football match Sevilla FC vs Granada FC at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium in Sevilla on November 30, 2014
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