Can Real Madrid Finish Strong in La Liga?
Real Madrid will face Sevilla on May 18th, at 1 p.m. EST in an away match at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán. Although Sevilla is 14th on the table, they are still a strong team. Both teams are coming off wins in their previous matches, which will make for a competitive game. This is one of the two remaining matches for Real Madrid, and since they are not in the Champions League, they can focus their energy on finishing strong in the league and rebuilding for next season.
A big player for Sevilla has been right winger Dodi Lukebakio, who is only in his second season with the club. Lukebakio has been a top big chance creator for the team and is the player with the most shots on target per match, and he has 11 goals this season. Another player that will likely cause an issue for Real Madrid is midfielder Saul Ñíguez. Ñíguez, known for his strength and contributions to Atletico Madrid, has a rivalry with Real Madrid that stems deeper than just this match. Having been a part of the Madrid rivalry for many years, Ñíguez is familiar with the system Real Madrid runs and can break down the defense on counter-attack plays.
Sevilla has scored six goals in their last five matches, but Real Madrid has scored 11 goals. This game has the chance to be high-scoring with strong attackers on both sides. Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe recently broke the record for most goals in a debut season for a Real Madrid player, hitting 39 goals in El Clásico, and is expected to keep the tally going. Sevilla has the chance to rack up goals if it takes advantage of a Madrid defense that has been continuously suffering from injuries and mistakes. Another downside for Los Blancos is the loss of Vinicius Júnior to an ankle injury from the previous match, and it appears he will be out until early June.
Real Madrid needs to win their next two matches and hope for Barcelona to lose theirs to still have a chance for the trophy, although those dreams have taken a hit after El Clásico. The likelihood of Barcelona losing their next matches is low, but Real Madrid can end the season strong with a win and look ahead to the future. Sevilla can cause a problem for Los Blancos, but ultimately, Real Madrid have been in better form, having won the previous head-to-head match. Can Real Madrid do the impossible, or will Barcelona and Sevilla end their title campaign? All eyes will be on the prize until the bitter end.
