Football fields are never short of surprises, and when a big team loses to a small one, emotions can be like a roller coaster, with waves of joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness. This is exactly what happened in the third round of the King's Cup, where Sevilla suffered a surprising 1:4 defeat at the hands of Almeria, the top team in the second division. This match not only created a "blockbuster" but also made many people wonder: What's wrong with Sevilla? Once the king of the Europa League, how has it become an "unliftable A Dou"? On the other side, Almeria proved that small teams can have their day with a resounding victory. This matchup was truly a song of "ice and fire."
The game started with Sevilla seemingly confident of an easy win. Isaac Romero's quick goal gave the visitors an early advantage. However, this lead was short-lived, like morning mist evaporating under the noon sun. Almeria turned the tables, especially Luis Suarez, who unleashed his full potential as a forward, scoring a hat-trick that shattered the hopes of Sevilla fans.
The final score of 4:1 saw Almeria advance strongly while Sevilla made an embarrassing exit. This loss marked the first time since the 2013/14 season that Sevilla had been eliminated in the third round of the King's Cup, a huge blow for a traditional powerhouse that once stood atop Europe.
What's even more puzzling is that, statistically, Sevilla wasn't completely "out of control" in this match. They had nearly equal possession, shot attempts, and passing accuracy close to their opponents. But football isn't a sport where data alone brings glory; it's about actual results: goals and victories.
Almeria excelled in these two aspects, especially Luis Suarez, who demonstrated with precision in front of the goal that "when opportunity knocks, you must seize it."
In essence, Sevilla seemed to be working hard on the field, but in reality, they didn't achieve much - a classic case of busywork without results. It felt like using a big knife to cut wires, making a lot of noise but achieving nothing.
This seemingly unexpected failure was, in a sense, not surprising at all. Sevilla's state has been separated from the top teams for years. If they were a "strong wind" in La Liga in the mid-2010s, they now resemble a "sleepy old man." In the 2024/25 season, the team only managed to score a meager 22 points in the first half of La Liga, ranking 14th, just 7 points away from the relegation zone. Year after year, they remain in the lower half of the league, unable to even touch European competition qualifications. Thinking back to the Sevilla that dominated the Europa League five or six years ago, one can't help but sigh.
Compared to the 2013/14 season, when Sevilla shone in both the King's Cup and the Europa League, scaring their European opponents, the team that once ruled the winds now seems to be teetering like a building about to collapse, truly living up to its name in vain.
Internal and external troubles have plagued this team for a long time. Frequent coaching changes, unstable tactics, and poor management in player recruitment have combined to become the fuse that dragged down Sevilla. The players brought in last year couldn't even stabilize the lineup, let alone fill the gaps. If the core of a big team is its management, then Sevilla's "trader" has clearly lost the team's direction.
On the other hand, Almeria, a team from the second division, has been "soaring" in recent years. Relying on a stable youth training system and efficient tactical execution, they have become the top candidate for promotion to La Liga. In this match, they fully utilized their home advantage, taking the "weak overcoming the strong" scenario to the extreme. They seized opportunities decisively at critical moments, far surpassing Sevilla in their ability to grasp chances.
Especially the core figure of this match, Luis Suarez, a forward with the same name as the legendary Barcelona striker, proved with his actions that he could also become a focal point. His three goals, whether in positioning or shooting technique, were textbook perfect. It can be said that Almeria used a big victory to show their confidence and told everyone: Small teams don't always have to take a beating; they have their punches too.
Of course, not all big teams experienced "earthquakes" in this round. Barcelona also faced a lower-level team, Bawastro, on the same day, advancing successfully with a 4:0 victory. This victory injected a strong dose of energy into Barcelona, whose recent form hasn't been good, with internal conflicts flying everywhere. This match provided some relief for the fans.
Compared to the stable performances of Barcelona and other big teams, Sevilla's crushing defeat stands out even more. It's unclear if it's just "bad luck," but this old powerhouse has been lost in a devilish schedule over the past few months, falling deeper and deeper; while other teams at least managed to stabilize their positions, it's true that success and failure are habits.
Whether it's Almeria's comeback or Sevilla's crushing defeat, this match once again taught us a timeless truth on the football field: The label of a big team isn't an insurance policy, and small teams aren't destined to always play the background. As long as tactics are executed properly, small teams can still have the chance to make a name for themselves; and once a big team starts infighting, small problems can accumulate into big contradictions, and losing to anyone wouldn't be surprising.
If Sevilla doesn't make changes quickly, forget about returning to the European stage; in the coming years, holding onto their La Liga position will be a matter of "burning high incense." In fact, this 1:4 match was like a loud slap, clearing away illusions and sounding the alarm - this was not just an unexpected result, but a symbolic "watershed."
This is football - the likelihood of surprises happening can be similar to winning the lottery, but it often arrives at the most unexpected moment for the big teams, leaving people speechless.