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Score: Sevilla 3-2 Real Madrid
Goalscorers: Sevilla - Wissam Ben Yedder 26', Miguel Layun 45', Sergio Ramos (OG) 84'
Real Madrid - Borja Mayoral 87', Sergio Ramos 90+6'
Real Madrid continued their disappointing form in La Liga with a 3-2 defeat at the hands of a resurgent Sevilla. Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan has been a bogey place for Madrid to visit in recent years and it proved to be just the case as Zinedine Zidane's men fell to their fifth defeat at the stadium in as many years.
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Sevilla raced to a 2-0 lead at halftime courtesy of goals from Ben Yedder and Layun. Sergio Ramos missed his spot kick in the second half to bring Real back into the game. And to add more misery for the former Sevilla man, Ramos scored an own goal to make it 3-0 for Sevilla.
The visitors did pull back two right at the end with substitute Borja Mayoral getting on the scoresheet whereas Ramos made amends with a successful penalty this time around. But the comeback proved to be too late as Sevilla held on to a deserved win.
So without further ado, let's analyze this game in further and discuss the key talking points that emerged from Real Madrid's 3-2 defeat to Sevilla:
#5 Zinedine Zidane fields his second-string side
The Real Madrid boss has rotated his side quite heavily this season to keep his impact players fresh for the Champions League games - their main priority. It was the case against Sevilla as well with Real Madrid making eight changes from the side that drew 2-2 against FC Barcelona.
Only Karim Benzema, Sergio Ramos and Casemiro took their place whereas the others were rested or injured. Ronaldo, Isco and Carvajal were out due to injuries whereas Gareth Bale was suspended. The likes of Marcelo, Kroos, Modric and Varane were given the night off.
But judging by the performance and the result, Zidane made far too many chances in a game which if his side had won would have cemented the second spot. The rested players could have at least been put on the bench to be utilized in the second half.
He had to defend his rotation in the post-match press conference where he said, "We have a final on May 26. I don't care what people think about this. I am the coach and I will decide."
#4 Sevilla's route one football exposes Real Madrid
Sevilla started the game in a 3-4-1-2 formation with Layun and Escudero as the wingbacks and Luis Muriel and Ben Yedder up front. The home side let Real Madrid enjoy possession and pressed them with numbers in their own half. The midfield of N'Zonzi and Pizzaro were strong in their tackles and retained the ball on multiple occasions.
With Real Madrid not pressing high, the Sevilla defenders used route one style to pump the ball to their forwards which was brilliantly utilized by their two strikers. Sevilla's both goals in the first half were initialised by two such long balls. Real Madrid's defence were badly exposed as the two centre backs could not deal with the directness of Sevilla.
The hosts reverted back to a 4-4-2 system in the second half but the strategy remained same. Real Madrid could not carve out clear-cut chances to trouble David Soria and had to resort on long-range shots. Sevilla were sharp in counter-attacking and had a couple of glorious chances in the second half to inflict more damage on their opposition.
Sevilla seemed to switch off in the final few minutes which resulted in Real Madrid scoring two in quick succession. But the Copa Del Rey finalists held on to their lead and were the deserved winners on the night.
#3 Dani Ceballos fails to impress
The former Real Betis midfielder has had a tough start to his Real Madrid career. He has been used sparingly by Zinedine Zidane this season with the manager trusting the likes of Kovacic and Llorente ahead of him. This has led to the rumours of Ceballos leaving Madrid this summer.
Against Sevilla, Ceballos was given a surprise start which can also be termed as his last chance to impress the Real Madrid management. He displayed some neat touches and some crisp passes but was nowhere at his influencing best.
The lack of playing time and Sevilla's physical midfield made it tough for Ceballos who was taken off in the 70th minute. He did not react well to the substitution and took his place on the bench rather angrily. His below-par performance against Sevilla might have all but confirmed his departure from the club this summer.
#2 Sevilla all but confirm Europa League qualification
This was a must-win game for Sevilla who needed all three points against Real Madrid to topple Getafe from the seventh spot. A victory has now placed Sevilla with 54 points on the table with Getafe on 52 points from the same number of games.
As it stands, Sevilla will qualify for the Europa League ahead of Getafe. They face Real Betis and Alaves in their final two fixtures and it can be predicted that four points from these two games would be enough for Sevilla to secure the seventh spot.
This has been a roller coaster of a season for the Andalusian side. Two managers have already received the sack after some unconvincing performances.
Joaquin Caparros returned to Sevilla after 13 years replacing Vincenzo Montella and has managed back to back league wins to get their season back on track. A change from Sevilla's recent possession style football, Caparros' direct methods have earned short-term results and have all but secured a place for the club in its favourite competition.
#1 A night to forget for Sergio Ramos
A return to Sevilla has always been filled with boos and hostility for Sergio Ramos. Last night was the same where the Sevilla faithful jeered every touch from Sergio Ramos. To make it worse for the Real Madrid captain, he produced a forgettable performance in front of a crowd that never forgets.
In the 58th minute, Real Madrid won a penalty and on stepped their captain to take the spot kick. Ramos hit the crossbar and missed the penalty much to the delight of the home crowd. He then received an unfortunate booking for a handball when the ball was nowhere near his hands.
To make matters even worse, Ramos scored an own goal to give Sevilla a 3-0 cushion. He tried to intercept Gabriel Mercado's low cross but could only see it go past Kiko Casilla and into the back of the net. He did restore some pride for himself with a 96th goal (in the right end) from another penalty.
But all in all, it was a forgettable evening for Real Madrid and more so for Sergio Ramos. A missed penalty and an own goal at his former club's home turf, Ramos must have needed some sleeping pills to forget this game.
