Sevilla 0-2 Athletic Bilbao: Visitors defeat struggling Sevilla in a fierce match to continue excellent form.

The recently-appointed Sevilla manager, Quique Sanchez Flores, must have been relieved to have a prolonged festive break as he takes charge of his fifth LaLiga team. Both Sevilla and their opponents were missing key players due to the Africa Cup of Nations, resulting in a cautious start to the match.

However, it quickly became evident that Sevilla's defensive weaknesses, which had led to them keeping only one clean sheet in their last 13 games, would be exposed. Nico Williams missed a great opportunity to score after a well-executed play with Alex Berenguer, and Mikel Vesga capitalized on a cross from Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta to give Athletic Bilbao the lead after 30 minutes.

Sanchez Flores would have been disappointed with his team's lack of attacking threat in the first half, as they failed to register a single shot on goal. The second half started poorly for Sevilla, with Williams' deflected shot hitting the crossbar and causing chaos in their penalty area.

The introduction of Ivan Rakitic and the near misses from Sergio Ramos and Suso provided some hope for Sevilla. However, as the game opened up, Unai Simon made an impressive double save at one end, only for Athletic Bilbao to seal the victory with a goal similar to Vesga's opener. Ander Herrera's cross found Aitor Paredes, who calmly finished the chance.

Sevilla's disappointing performance leaves them just one point above the relegation zone at the halfway point of the season, while Athletic Bilbao's unbeaten run has their fans dreaming of a return to the UEFA Champions League.