From title hopefuls to Europa League underdogs, Sevilla's slide should give United hope

For a team who have finished fourth in La Liga for three seasons in a row and never out of the top 10 since they were promoted 21 years ago, this term has been a disaster for Sevilla.

The club, under their third manager of the season, sit 13th, just five points clear of Valencia – yes Valencia – in the final relegation spot. But for a new manager bounce – Jose Luis Mendilibar has overseen two wins and a draw – it would be much worse.

Sevilla were 19th at the halfway stage under Jorge Sampaoli, before the Argentine received an €8 million pay off for five months work. Even now, only four clubs have conceded more than Sevilla’s 44 goals from 28 games. Only five have won fewer than Sevilla’s eight matches.

That's a significant slide given Sevilla boasted the best defence in La Liga last term when Bono, the heroic Moroccan goalkeeper who came to global prominence during the last year's World Cup finals in Qatar, won the Zamora trophy for being Spain’s best goalkeeper.

Julen Lopetegui was boss at the start of this season, as he had been since 2019. The former Spain head coach and current Wolves manager had been doing such an impressive job that Manchester United considered him as one of the four candidates to replace Ralf Rangnick, before opting for Erik ten Hag.

Lopetegui took Sevilla to second in La Liga in January 2022 and brought in Antony Martial on loan from United on a huge wage to push for the title. Martial scored a miserable one goal; Sevilla finished fourth.

This season started badly with one point from the first four league games. In Europe, Sevilla lost 4-0 at home to Manchester City before Lopetegui lost his job the day after a 4-1 Champions League home defeat to Borussia Dortmund in October. These fours were not