Home manager Imanol Alguacil rang the changes ahead of this encounter, with Nayef Aguerd, Igor Zubeldia and Beñat Turrientes the only survivors from the starting XI which drew 1-1 against Manchester United in the UEFA Europa League (UEL) on Thursday.
However, the first chance of the game fell the hosts’ way just after the quarter-hour mark, as Sergio Gómez saw his whipped corner headed wide on the run by captain Zubeldia, before another teasing Gómez delivery was diverted on target by Aguerd, though that effort lacked the power and direction needed to trouble Orjan Nyland.
Sevilla right-back Jose Angel Carmona then briefly had his heart in his mouth after passing straight to Orri Oskarsson, who held off Djibril Sow but saw his fierce shot fly wide.
The visitors came back strongly at the other end after that scare, and Unai Marrero parried Adrià Pedrosa’s strike back to Isaac Romero, but the Sevilla academy product couldn’t set himself properly as he horribly miscued the follow-up to ensure the teams would go in level at the break.
Yet, the visitors were clearly not disheartened, as they made the breakthrough on 47 minutes.
Aguerd was dispossessed by Sevilla skipper Saul, who received a return pass from Romero and fed Chidera Ejuke, with the Nigerian then cleverly using Jon Aramburu as a mannequin to wonderfully curl into Marrero’s bottom left-hand corner.
It was therefore no surprise that Alguacil turned to his bench just after the hour, although making four substitutions in one go may have raised some eyebrows.
With such a raft of new blood, Sociedad took a while to adapt, with the desire to conserve energy for Thursday’s second-leg tie against Man Utd potentially in the mind too.
In turn, Sevilla subsequently came within a whisker of doubling their lead, as Dodi Lukebakio brilliantly found Romero, whose shot agonisingly trickled against the post.
Contrastingly, Sociedad continued to toil in attack, with Gomez’s switch to the right flank not sufficiently affecting the contest.
There was a hint of frustration about Sevilla when Saul’s header accidentally struck teammate and late substitute Albert Sambi Lokonga.
But it would ultimately prove inconsequential, with Sevilla holding out for a victory that gives them a perfectly even split of wins, draws and losses in La Liga this season (nine apiece). They will host Athletic Club next Sunday with a spring in their step, while Sociedad have worryingly only scored more goals in the division this term than bottom-of-the-table relegation near-certs Real Valladolid.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Chidera Ejuke (Sevilla)