Roma were beaten 2-1 away to Sevilla with Alisson beaten twice at his near post, but Edin Dzeko got a late consolation goal.
It was an emotional return to the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan for Diego Perotti and former Sevilla director Monchi for the Antonio Puerta Trophy, marking the 10th anniversary of the player’s death.
Joaquin Correa had penalty appeals within 120 seconds for a Kostas Manolas tackle at the by-line, but the referee waved play on.
Roma were beaten 2-1 away to Sevilla with Alisson beaten twice at his near post, but Edin Dzeko got a late consolation goal.
It was an emotional return to the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan for Diego Perotti and former Sevilla director Monchi for the Antonio Puerta Trophy, marking the 10th anniversary of the player’s death.
Joaquin Correa had penalty appeals within 120 seconds for a Kostas Manolas tackle at the by-line, but the referee waved play on.
The hosts started very aggressively and Correa’s lob was captured by Alisson, while Walter Montoya volleyed just off target from a Krohn-Dehli assist.
Alisson parried a Montoya snapshot and Roma seemed under the cosh in the first half and struggled to keep possession. Sevilla lost both Correa and Gabriel Mercado to minor injuries in the first half.
The Giallorossi finally got their first genuine chance after 37 minutes, as Sergio Rico flew to palm away a trademark Aleksandar Kolarov free kick.
Radja Nainggolan won back possession to spark a dangerous Roma move, but Diego Perotti hesitated and was tackled by Steven N’Zonzi in the penalty area.
Alisson ran a huge risk when he rushed out to take the ball off the feet of Wissam Ben Yedder, but the referee judged it to be a clean challenge.
Perotti and Kevin Strootman had half-chances on the counter, but ex-Sampdoria striker Luis Muriel almost scored straight after the restart by drilling just wide.
Gregoire Defrel had the best chance of the game so far on 49 minutes, clipping the upright from just inside the box.
Sevilla almost scored moments later, as first Alisson beat away a Krohn-Deli header, then Nolito’s follow-up was blocked by a desperate Manolas challenge.
Edin Dzeko knocked down a long ball forward and his first touch let him down, but that still almost forced Lenglet into an own goal, denied by a Soria fingertip save on the line.
Perotti’s free kick skimmed the crossbar, but Sevilla broke the deadlock when Sergio Escudero ran on to a Nolito through ball and beat Alisson at the near post from a very tight angle.
Nolito scored the second goal from a similar position, again beating Alisson Becker at the near stick with a low strike to the goalkeeper’s right on the counter-attack.
Dzeko did get a consolation goal for Roma moments later, a precise right-foot snooker-shot into the far bottom corner from just outside the box.
Sevilla 2-1 Roma
Escudero 73 (S), Nolito 89 (S), Dzeko 90 (R)
Sevilla: Sergio Rico (Soria 46); Mercado (Corchia 33), Pareja (Kjaer 46), Lenglet (Lasso 83), Escudero; Banega (Ganso 75), N’Zonzi, Krohn-Dehli (Pizarro 54); Montoya (Jesus Navas 54), Ben Yedder (Muriel 46), Joaquin Correa (Nolito 28)
Roma: Alisson; Peres, Manolas (Juan Jesus 84), Moreno (Fazio 65), Kolarov; Nainggolan (Gerson 84), De Rossi (Gonalons 75), Strootman (Pellegrini 65); Defrel (Under 65), Dzeko, Perotti