By the time Julen Lopetegui tried to change direction his Sevilla team had already been flattened by the human steamroller, Erling Braut Haaland.
A disastrous first half on their own Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan turf means the perennial Europa League winners are unlikely to progress any further among the continent’s very best.
Suso’s opener was cancelled out by a stunning Mo Dahoud equaliser before Dortmund’s Norwegian viper struck twice in the blink of an eye.
Luuk de Jong’s late consolation gives Sevilla a glimmer of hope heading into the return leg in Germany. But, with Haaland in such supreme form, that’s all it is – a glimmer.
If 2018 was Lopetegui’s annus horribilis – a shock sacking by Spain on the eve of the World Cup preceding three miserable months in the Real Madrid dugout – 2020 was the year in which he restored his reputation.
But, after celebrating Europa League glory and a fourth-place finish in Spain’s top flight last term, doubts persist over how much further Lopetegui can take this talented Sevilla side.
The Sun reports that, when his time in Andalusia comes to an end, Leeds United owner Andrea Radrizzani has identified the one-time Porto boss as the man to inherit Marcelo Bielsa’s bucket.
However, if Bielsa is one of the most admired and innovative tacticians in the modern game, Lopetegui has a long way to go before he’s mentioned in such exultant tones.
In La Liga, Sevilla have been more functional than thrilling – workmanlike 1-0 wins becoming their trademark.
And the Elland Road faithful, who have been spoiled by the quality of football on offer during the Bielsa era, won’t have been too impressed by the lack of pace or intensity displayed by Lopetegui’s side against Dortmund.
His decision to sub off Suso and Papu Gomez, arguably Sevilla’s most threatening forwards on the night, didn’t go down well with the Andalusian public either.
Although Lopetegui can hardly be blamed for Lucas Ocampos’ absence. Unbeknownst to one Sevilla fan, the Argentine winger was out with an ankle injury.
Here’s how some fans reacted to the Sevilla performance on Twitter:
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