Sevilla manager García Pimienta singled out Kelechi Iheanacho’s missed open-goal opportunity as a pivotal moment in his side’s 2-0 home defeat to Real Sociedad on Sunday, Soccernet.ng reports.
Iheanacho, who joined Sevilla on a free transfer from Leicester City this summer, was introduced in the 80th minute, with Sevilla already trailing by two goals.
The Nigerian forward came close to providing a lifeline for the hosts when he intercepted a wayward back pass and rounded Sociedad’s goalkeeper.
However, with an open net in front of him, Iheanacho’s shot went agonizingly wide.
Reflecting on the performance, Pimienta acknowledged Sociedad’s superiority but expressed concern over Iheanacho’s missed scoring chance.
“We had them, but we couldn’t finish. Above all, Kelechi’s was clear,” Pimienta stated as per Elgoldigital. “We have no choice but to continue to trust.”
In addition to Iheanacho’s miss, Pimienta was notably disappointed with defender Marcao, whose mistake led to Real Sociedad’s second goal.
Marcao’s clumsy tackle inside the box gifted Sociedad a penalty, which Mikel Oyarzabal calmly converted in the 68th minute to put the game beyond Sevilla’s reach.
Pimienta did not hold back in his assessment of the defender’s error, remarking,
“It was a clear mistake, putting his arm out in that situation makes no sense. A player of his experience should not make that kind of mistake.”
Despite the league struggles, Iheanacho recently displayed his scoring ability with two goals in Sevilla’s 3-0 Copa del Rey victory over Las Rozas.
Yet, he continues to search for his first La Liga goal, as Sevilla seek to turn their fortunes around in the coming fixtures.