Almeyda explains why Akor Adams was benched in Sevilla defeat

Akor Adams was left out of the starting line-up as Sevilla lost 2-0 to Valencia, with coach Matías Almeyda explaining his decision after the match.

Adams, who is Sevilla’s top scorer this season with seven goals and four assists in 23 games, had been expected to start the match. The Nigerian striker has been one of the team’s key players since returning from international duty.

However, Almeyda chose to start Neal Maupay instead. The decision did not go well for Sevilla, as they went two goals down before half-time through strikes from Hugo Duro and Largie Ramazani.

Adams was introduced at the start of the second half and made an immediate impact, adding energy and attacking threat to the team. Sevilla improved after the break and controlled much of the game, but they were unable to score.

The defeat leaves Sevilla in 15th place with 31 points from 29 matches, just three points above the relegation zone. Valencia, meanwhile, moved up to 11th place and are now comfortably clear of danger.

After the game, Almeyda said he dropped Adams because he was not satisfied with his performance in their previous match against Barcelona. He also explained that he wanted to rotate his strikers and give others a chance.

“We have three strikers and I am trying different options to see who can score,” Almeyda said. “I was not happy with Akor’s last game, so I decided to make a change.”

Sevilla now face a difficult run of matches as they try to move away from the relegation zone, and Adams is expected to return to the starting line-up in their next game.