MALAGA (Spain): Sevi­lla’s La Liga campaign got off to a stuttering start when their new midfielder Steven Nzonzi was sent off midway through the second half as they were held to a 0-0 draw at Andalusian rivals Malaga in a mistake-filled opening match of the season on Friday.

Former Stoke City midfielder N’Zonzi had a forgettable Liga debut following his 7 million pound (9.7 million euro) move in the offseason. He was needlessly booked early for impeding a throw-in before being sent off with a second yellow card for a foul in the 69th.

Malaga pressed hard for a winner but were unable to breach the visitors’ defence and it was the first time in a decade that the opening match of the Spanish season ended without a goal.

Published in Dawn, August 23rd, 2015

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