Sevilla earned a crucial 2-1 victory over Atletico Madrid on Saturday at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium, a result that provided a boost in their battle to avoid relegation. 

Goals from Akor Adams and Nemanja Gudelj proved decisive as Sevilla ended a difficult run of three consecutive defeats.

It was 1-0 to Sevilla in the tenth minute when Akor Adams, Sevilla's top scorer in this season's La Liga, converted a penalty.

With an eye on Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League clash against Barcelona, Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone opted to rotate his squad, leaving Ademola Lookman on the bench at the start.

However, with the capital club chasing an equaliser, the former African Footballer of the Year was introduced with 19 minutes remaining. 

In a candid reflection on the pressure his team faced in the closing stages of the game, the Sevilla coach singled out the threat posed by Lookman.

In quotes relayed by Spanish sports daily Marca, Luis García Plaza admitted at the post-match press conference: "Even I was scared when Lookman got the ball. I liked that the team stepped up again after that equaliser."

Sevilla's win, coming in new coach Luis García Plaza's home debut in the dugout, lifted the Andalusian side out of the drop zone just hours after they had slipped into it following Elche's victory over Valencia.