Real Madrid vs. Sevilla: The Merengues Once More Dominate at Home
The Santiago Bernabéu lit up this evening to host Sevilla versus Real Madrid on the 17th date of La Liga. In cool weather, the current second-ranked team on the position chart faced the frustrated Sevilla. Their unexceptional results this season have left them sitting ninth on the chart. The last time this encounter occurred, Sevilla left with a disappointing 2-0 loss, succumbing to Real Madrid's overwhelming control of the ball.
Matias Almeyda’s Sevilla started out strong, Alexis Sanchez’s skills briefly shining before ball dominion was fully handed over to Real Madrid. As per usual, Kylian Mbappe’s speedy lunges got him dangerously close to Sevilla’s goalpost with no success during the first half. Seven minutes before halftime, a foul by Sevilla’s Marcão against Rodrygo gained the Merengues a free kick, which was magnificently taken advantage of by Jude Bellingham, scoring with a swift head kick and setting the counter 1-0 in favor of Real Madrid. The first half was brought to an end, marked by Sevilla’s repeated tries to equalize the scoreboard and Real Madrid’s superior ability to rise above the Sevillian defense.
Real Madrid’s home stadium witnessed no player changes for the second half. Stamina levels seemed to be faltering during the first few minutes, but Mbappe’s signature sprints and Sanchez’s game strategy quickly put action back on the table for the fans. In a ping-pong manner, Sevilla’s and Real Madrid’s frontrunners seemed to be taking turns to take shots at the opponent's goalpost. Marcão’s luck did not improve through the match; a fierce sweep against Bellingham's chin cost him a second yellow card and a consequent expulsion from the game, leaving Sevilla with only 10 players. The game’s rather slow pace was interrupted when Juanlu Sanchez’s harsh hit against beaten up Rodrygo earned the Merengues a penalty shoot, which unsurprisingly gave Mbappe the entryway to scoring 2-0 against Sevilla, with less than 10 minutes of playtime remaining. Sevilla’s desperate attempts to score in the final minutes did not amount to anything, marking 2-0 as the final score of the night.
This evening’s match gave the fans nothing unexpected. A dominant Real Madrid showcased its quality at home, while Sevilla struggled to hold on to the game pace of its opponent. Powerful moves were made by Mbappe as much as Sanchez, but the overall structure of Sevilla was noticeably weaker. Once again, Real Madrid takes the win in front of its fans, giving them one more reason to love their team, although this might not be a match to remember. As of now, Real Madrid sits just one point behind Barcelona, foreshadowing what the last phase of the Liga might look like.
