In less than a month on the job, José Luis Mendilibar has managed to change the mood at Sevilla FC entirely.
When the 62-year-old was hired to replace Jorge Sampaoli and to become the Andalusian club's third coach of the season, Sevilla FC sat just two points above the LaLiga Santander relegation zone and the threat of dropping out of the division was a real one.
Now, they are in 12th place and hold an eight-point gap to the bottom three, having taken seven points from the nine available across Mendilibar's first three LaLiga Santander fixtures. A 2-0 win at Cádiz CF was followed by a 2-2 draw against RC Celta, with Los Nervionenses even having played with 10 men from the 20th minute onwards in that sharing of the spoils. Then, on Sunday night in Matchday 29, Mendilibar's men travelled to Mestalla for a relegation six-pointer against Valencia CF, which they won 2-0 thanks to goals from Loïc Badé and Suso.
The Sevilla FC faithful can now breathe a sigh of relief. While nobody at the club is considering the relegation battle as over, the team have already significantly reduced the risk thanks to the recent turnaround.
In the meantime, the fans are dreaming of Europa League glory. Sevilla FC are the most successful club in that competition's history, having lifted the trophy six times, and they are very much alive in the 2022/23 edition after Mendilibar's side earned a 2-2 draw away at Manchester United in the first leg of their quarter-final tie. After a slow start to that game, Los Nervionenses dominated the final stages and benefited from some luck with a pair of own goals, before even pushing to win the game on the night. Now, for this Thursday's second leg, the Estadio Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán will be packed to the rafters for the second leg of a tie that is level.
Fixing Sevilla FC's away form
When Sevilla FC take to the pitch at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán on Thursday, it'll be just Mendilibar's second game in the home dugout. That's because three of his four matches so far, across which he is undefeated, have been on the road.
The team's stuttering away form had been a problem all season, but Mendilibar has brought organisation and confidence back to this unit and this is allowing them to go away to any ground and perform. Sevilla FC have already won two away LaLiga Santander games under the Basque coach, which is quite incredible considering they'd achieved just two away wins out of 13 away league games before his arrival.
Tactically, the coach has made changes and installed a 4-2-3-1 system in which every player fully understands his role. This formation is unlocking Lucas Ocampos' potential down the right wing, while Youssef En-Nesyri is causing problems for opposition defences as he plays as a natural No.9. At the other end, a goalkeeping change was made and Marko Dmitrović – who Mendilibar knows from his time at SD Eibar – has started each LaLiga Santander game and kept two clean sheets out of three, while Bono was able to use his international experience when starting at Old Trafford.
What's most exciting for the Sevilla FC fans is that the best might still be to come. There have been suspensions and injuries across Mendilibar's first four games, but now he is getting players back and he is keen for the team to play even better.
The coach even admitted that the results so far have been better than the performances merited, stating: "If you don't play so well but the results are good then you gain confidence because you realise that, when you do play well, things will go even better. We are working to be more organised and, from there, we can start to play better. We're clinical in front of goal right now and that has been key."
If the best is still to come for Sevilla FC, this 2022/23 campaign could yet be one to remember. The Andalusian side can now look up the standings and target a top-half finish, while they'll also give their all on Thursday to try to reach the Europa League semi-finals.
Every other time Sevilla FC have made it this far in that competition they have gone on to win it. Given their improvement under Mendilibar, they can dream.In less than a month on the job, José Luis Mendilibar has managed to change the mood at Sevilla FC entirely. When the 62-year-old was hired to replace Jorge Sampaoli and to become the Andalusian club's third coach of the season, Sevilla FC sat just two points above the LaLiga Santander relegation zone and the threat of dropping out of the division was a real one.
