The two coaches, both born in the Basque Country, meet again in very different circumstances that would have been hard to imagine just over three months ago, when they last met in the dugout in mid-September. Lopetegui's sacking was to be expected, but the Emery's departure after receiving a significant offer was more surprising.
Villarreal and Sevilla drew 1-1 in that match between the two coaches, who have met on many occasions. Oliver Torres (28) scored the first, after an assist from Isco (30), and Alex Baena (21) equalised in the second half after coming on due to Gio Lo Celso's (26) injury.
The point was not satisfying for either club, a result that, should it come on Wednesday, could leave Wolves still languishing in the relegation zone of the Premier League.
The other 2022 encounter between the two men ended in the same way, but with a much sweeter outcome for Sevilla as they equalised in the 95th minute thanks to Jules Kounde's goal. Shortly before, in the 86th minute, the aforementioned Lo Celso managed to put Castellon ahead in what seemed, but was not, the winning goal for the home side.
What happened in May 2021 is now well and truly behind them, although it must not have been easy for Lopetegui to forget the heavy defeat. The Andalusians were beaten 4-0 at La Ceramica, with Carlos Bacca (36), back against his former team, scoring three goals.
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