Sevilla moved one step closer to securing qualification for next season’s Champions League by edging out Eibar on Monday evening.
Lucas Ocampos hit the only goal of the game 11 minutes after the break to move Julen Lopetegui’s side six points clear of fifth-placed Villarreal with just four rounds of matches remaining.
The win stretched Sevilla’s unbeaten run in the division to 11 matches but their run-in to the season is tough, with trips to both Athletic Club Bilbao and Real Sociedad, alongside hosting Mallorca and Valencia.
The one downside of the result for the Andalusian club was a late knee injury for goalkeeper Tomas Vaclik, with Ocampos ending the game as a stand-in goalkeeper.
Incredibly, the Argentine midfielder mate a late save from Eibar’s goalkeeper Marko Dmitrovic – who was sent forward in the dying moments, to deny the Basque club a point.
¡PARADÓN DE OCAMPOS A LANZAMIENTO DE DMITROVIC! ¡SURREALISTA FINAL! pic.twitter.com/AZfNU8IwnQ
— Los otros 18 (@Losotros18) July 6, 2020
The result leaves Eibar among the sides still looking over their shoulders at potential relegation this campaign – they remain 16th in the standings and six points above the drop zone.
Jose Luis Mendilibar’s side’s next two games are against the bottom two sides in the standings – at home to Leganes and then a trip to Espanyol – as they look to move away from the bottom three.
