Sevilla head coach García Plaza has defended his decision to leave Akor Adams on the bench for a second straight match and instead hand Chidera Ejuke a starting role in their narrow 1-0 LaLiga win over Real Sociedad on Monday night.

Alexis Sánchez scored the only goal of the match, a result that edged Sevilla further away from relegation danger.

Akor Adams, who has enjoyed a steady run of involvement this season for Sevilla and even registered a composed penalty goal against Atlético Madrid, was left on the bench for the full 90 minutes as Chidera Ejuke was trusted for 90 minutes of action.

Despite his omission, Adams has still made a notable impact in front of goal this campaign, contributing 8 goals alongside 3 assists, reinforcing his value in Sevilla’s attacking setup even when not called upon.

Explaining his approach on DAZN, García Plaza pointed to recent performances and tactical balance rather than fixed selection patterns.

“I bet on Neal and he scored a goal the other day, that's all there is to it. Akor, with me, has played every game; he scored a penalty against Atlético and we took advantage of Neal, who was very good the other day," he said as quoted by Estadiodeportivo.

The Sevilla boss stressed that his focus is increasingly on impact over minutes, suggesting that squad roles are being defined by effectiveness in specific game moments rather than guaranteed starting positions.

He added: “Hopefully Neal will keep scoring and Akor will stay in the back line. We brought him on the other day and he needs to be ready. Right now, it's not the number of minutes each player gets that's important, but the quality of the minutes they give us. Neal played well the other day and hopefully he'll have another game like that. If not, we'll have Akor for the second half.”

García Plaza also explained the decision to start Chidera Ejuke, highlighting the Nigerian winger’s ability to disrupt defensive structures and create unpredictable attacking situations.

He said: “And with Ejuke, we're looking for the kind of situations he creates; he's very confident, good in one-on-one situations, good at drawing defenders out... We're changing from a more wing-oriented player, like Oso, to one who's more of a stand-up player, someone who can create chances, trigger attacks, and draw players in.”

The approach paid off as Sevilla held firm for a crucial win, with Ejuke’s dynamism adding a new dimension to their attack, while Akor Adams now faces increased competition for starting minutes as the season enters its decisive stage.

Wale Adejumo