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Sevilla left Vallecas with three points they barely deserved, and it was Akor Adams, the Nigerian striker yet to find his place in the side, who delivered the killer blow in the 87th minute, Footynaija.com reports.
Rayo Vallecano were the better team for long stretches, pinning Sevilla back and forcing goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos into a string of decisive saves.
The Greek produced his best work early in the second half, denying Andrei Ratiu with a sharp stop before throwing himself in the way of Pathé Ciss’s rebound when the midfielder looked certain to score. Later, Isi Palazón tested him again, but the wall in Sevilla’s goal would not be beaten.
Matías Almeyda’s side, meanwhile, looked blunt in attack, registering just one shot on target all evening.
Yet that solitary effort proved the difference. Adams, introduced from the bench, latched onto Juanlu Carmona’s clever pass inside the area and rifled his finish past Stole Dimitrievski with ruthless precision. It was the 24-year-old’s first goal for Sevilla since arriving in the summer, and it could not have come at a better time.
The Nigerian has had to wait patiently for opportunities, often overshadowed by more established forwards. But with his strength, timing, and cold-blooded finishing, he showed why Sevilla were keen to gamble on him. In a contest where his team created next to nothing, he made one touch count.
Rayo’s misery was compounded in stoppage time when Sergio Camello saw red after spurning a last-gasp equaliser. Íñigo Pérez’s side have now gone six league games without a win since their opening-day triumph, while Sevilla climb to 10 points, edging closer to the European places.
Almeyda will take encouragement from the grit shown by his goalkeeper and the decisive impact of a striker desperate to prove himself. With Barcelona visiting Nervión next, Adams may just have forced his manager into giving him a bigger role.
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