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Sevilla kept their unlikeliest of hopes of winning La Liga alive after securing a vital win over Cadiz. With this victory, Julen Lopetegui's men have earned thirteen points from their last five La Liga outings. This has allowed them to close the gap with leaders Real Madrid to just five points with a game in hand.
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A tight win for Sevilla
Sevilla came into the game looking to pounce on Real Madrid's defeat to Getafe.
The match began at a slow pace with both teams keeping the ball in midfield. The home team created some decent opportunities from a couple of corners but failed to take the initiative.
Sevilla started getting into the match after half an hour, creating some set pieces and dominating possession. However, both teams went into the interval failing to break the deadlock.
Sevilla came back blazing into the game after the break. They were rewarded 12 minutes later when Lucas Ocampos took advantage of a rebound from a corner kick to put the visiting team on top.
Sevilla looked threatening for the remainder of the match. Ivan Rakitić's 84th minute power strike was on target, but goalkeeper Jeremías Ledesma denied him a second goal for Sevilla.
Sevilla secured all three points with a 1-0 win that moved them back to within five points of the leaders.
La Liga title race heating up
Sevilla's refusal to give up in the title race seems indicative of Lopetegui's intention to cause a massive upset over his former club. Lopetegui, who was sacked by Real Madrid three years ago, has gone a long way to revive his career at Sevilla. A major championship win will surely be a sweet revenge.
Sevilla have a chance to close the gap to just two points when they play against Getafe two days later.
As things stand, Sevilla are the only team in Spain capable of obstructing Real Madrid's run to the championship. Next in line are Real Betis and Atletico Madrid. However, both teams are almost thirteen points off the leader at the moment.
Europa league is the only concern for Sevilla
Sevilla have won the Europa League a record six times, including a miraculous 3-2 win over Inter Milan two years ago. Since 2013/14, Sevilla have won four out of the eight Europa League editions.
This remains a dilemma for them this season - whether to compete for the league title or to conquer the tournament where they are simply unstoppable. A willingness to do well in both may fail them from winning either.
