This was a game of fine margins and in the end it belonged to the side with greater European expertise. Sevilla were everything we have come to expect in this competition – clinical when the moment arrived, obdurate enough to hold out once they were ahead – and the question now is whether West Ham are capable of learning a few tricks of their own before this absorbing tie resumes at the London Stadium next week.
The challenge is daunting. Caught cold when a clever set-piece routine allowed Munir El Haddadi to give Sevilla the lead with a sweet strike on the hour, the primary emotion for West Ham was frustration. David Moyes’s side missed several excellent chances in both halves and, while they will back themselves to turn this last-16 tie around, they know that their European adventure will be over if their finishing does not improve.
