Real Madrid recorded a spectacular victory over Sevilla on Sunday evening. The LaLiga leaders trailed 2-0 after the first half, but won 2-3. League top scorer Karim Benzema scored the winning goal in stoppage time. With the win, Real Madrid hardly seems to be able to miss the league title. The lead on number two Barcelona and number three Sevilla is fifteen points; Barcelona still have two games left.
Keep the champagne cold! † The greatest royal of all is at it again?? Benzema certainly isn’t playing his best game of the season, but is once again giving his Real Madrid the full booty in a very important game! †#ZiggoSport #LaLiga #SevilleReal #MOTD pic.twitter.com/Ccz9ZDJ80m
— Ziggo Sport Football (@ZS_Voetbal) Apr 17, 2022
Real had to come from far: thanks to goals in minutes 21 and 25, Sevilla took a 2-0 lead into the dressing room after the first half. The opening goal came from a free kick. After a foul by Luka Modric on Papu Gómez, Ivan Rakitic was allowed to land just outside the semi-circle for a free kick. He placed the ball in the left corner; as Éder Militão left his position in the wall, the ball sailed right through the Real Madrid players.
Moments later, an attack down the left wing resulted in the 2-0. Left back Marcos Acuña, back after a four-game absence due to injury, headed the ball towards Jesús Corona. After keeper Thibaut Courtois came out, Corona barely got the ball to Erik Lamela, who was able to finish in an empty goal. In the closing phase of the first half, another remarkable moment occurred around Anthony Martial.
“INCREDIBLE!” † The referees in Spain were not in very good shape today and this decision cannot count on much understanding ?? Jan van Halst has only one word for it ??#ZiggoSport #LaLiga #SevilleReal #MOTD pic.twitter.com/bpppZXiuAA
— Ziggo Sport Football (@ZS_Voetbal) Apr 17, 2022
The Sevilla attacker was torpedoed by Eduardo Camavinga, who was spared a second yellow card. Martial was injured in the tackle and threw a water bottle to the grass in frustration, which resulted in a yellow card before he was substituted. Real came out better in the second half. Rodrygo soon took care of the connecting goal when he was reached just before the goal by Dani Carvajal.
Real went after the equalizer and came close via Benzema, who was served by a chopper from Rodrygo and shot past. A goal by Vinícius Júnior was disallowed because the attacker allegedly took the ball with his arm after a header from Modric; Referee Guillermo Cuadra was advised by the VAR to view the images and stood by his judgment, although Vinícius seemed to get the ball mainly on the shoulder.
A drama day for the Spanish arbitration! † Again the referee fails miserably and Real Madrid is deprived of a clean goal… ?? That will be a solid evaluation tomorrow??#ZiggoSport #LaLiga #SevilleReal #MOTD pic.twitter.com/ya0KkakWkd
— Ziggo Sport Football (@ZS_Voetbal) Apr 17, 2022
Seven minutes before the end, Real Madrid came alongside. Nacho Fernández received the ball in the penalty area of the steamed up Carvajal and passed goalkeeper Bono with a low shot. Real Madrid were not satisfied with a draw and that was understandable, as the visitors did not want to offer Barcelona new hope in the title fight and were supreme in the second company. The 2-3 came in stoppage time as Benzema, who was served by Rodrygo, cleared the ball for himself and completed it.