There are comebacks, and then there are Alexis Sánchez comebacks. On a tense Monday evening at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán, the veteran Chilean walked off the bench at half-time and, within five minutes, had done what Sevilla's first-choice eleven had failed to manage across the opening 45 — put the ball in the net, claim three precious points, and drag his side out of the relegation zone in the process.

It finished 1-0 against Real Sociedad, a result that lifts Sevilla to 17th place in LaLiga, one point above Alavés who currently occupy the third and final relegation spot. Below them, Levante and Real Oviedo sit in 19th and 20th respectively, and with only three points separating Alavés in 18th from Valencia in 12th, it is shaping up to be one of those final-day scrambles that turns grown adults into nervous wrecks in their living rooms.

A goal to silence the doubters

Sánchez is 37 years old. The days when he was terrorising full-backs for Arsenal in the Premier League feel like a different era entirely, yet here he was, sharp enough off the bench to make the decisive contribution when Sevilla needed it most. It was the kind of moment that reminds you why experienced players earn their place in a squad — not necessarily to start every week, but to change a game when the tension is suffocating and the home crowd is starting to fidget.

Sevilla had come into the fixture in wretched form, losing five of their previous six league matches. Monday's win gave them back-to-back home victories in LaLiga for the first time since October 2024, which tells its own story about how difficult this season has been at the Pizjuán. A late second goal from Lucien Agoumé was chalked off after a VAR review, though by that point the damage to Sociedad had already been done.

Costly defeat for Sociedad's European hopes

For Real Sociedad, the defeat stings at the other end of the table's narrative. They travelled to Seville with genuine European ambitions for next season, knowing that a win would have hauled them into joint sixth alongside Celta Vigo. Instead, they sit ninth, three points adrift of Celta, and a point behind both Getafe and Athletic Club. The race for European football in the Basque Country and beyond has just got a little tighter.

The wider picture

The relegation fight in Spain this season is genuinely brutal in its closeness. Here is where things stand among the sides scrapping to stay up:

  • 17th – Sevilla, one point above the drop
  • 18th – Alavés, in the third relegation place
  • 19th – Levante
  • 20th – Real Oviedo

With the table so compressed in the bottom half, every single result between now and the final whistle of the season carries enormous weight. Sevilla will know better than most that Monday's three points are welcome, but they are far from safe.

Meanwhile, at the top of the table, Barcelona can seal a second consecutive LaLiga title on Sunday when they face Real Madrid, needing only a win or a draw to put the championship beyond the reach of Álvaro Arbeloa's side. That particular drama, though, feels like a different universe from the white-knuckle anxiety unfolding in the bottom four.

For now, Sevilla fans will take the three points, tip their hat to a 37-year-old who refuses to call it a day, and steel themselves for the weeks ahead.

Frequently asked

Is Sevilla relegated from LaLiga?
Not yet. After their 1-0 win over Real Sociedad, Sevilla sit 17th, one point above the relegation zone, with matches still to play.
Who scored for Sevilla against Real Sociedad?
Alexis Sánchez scored the only goal, coming off the bench at half-time and netting five minutes after his introduction.
How old is Alexis Sánchez?
Sánchez is 37 years old and was playing as a substitute for Sevilla in their LaLiga relegation battle.