Time to sign off; I’ll leave you with Sid Lowe’s report from a big night in the Spanish title race. Adios.
Here’s how it stands with three games to play. Atlético need three wins to secure the title; if they slip up, it’s anyone’s game.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atletico Madrid | 35 | 39 | 77 |
| 2 | Real Madrid | 35 | 34 | 75 |
| 3 | Barcelona | 35 | 47 | 75 |
| 4 | Sevilla | 35 | 22 | 71 |
| 5 | Real Sociedad | 35 | 18 | 56 |
To clear up any confusion around that equaliser, it was initially given to Hazard – but La Liga have now confirmed it was a Diego Carlos own goal. Here’s a replay:
MADRID EQUALISE! 😱
— Premier Sports 📺 (@PremierSportsTV) May 9, 2021
Toni Kroos' shot deflects in off of Eden Hazard and it's heartbreak for Sevilla and a title race lifeline for Real Madrid ⚪ pic.twitter.com/ntjeuLUPDk
Elsewhere, Juventus have lost 3-0 at home to Milan and drop out of the top four in Serie A. In Ligue 1, PSG have been held by Rennes, handing Lille a three-point lead in the title race! A big night all round ...
“I think it’s a fair result,” says Ivan Rakitic. “I think we were closer to winning. We were better in the first half, they were in the second. Our desire is to be closer to the top, competing with the biggest teams.”
On the penalty, he says: “It was a clear penalty. If you want to talk about handball, talk about handball. But if handball is handball, that was handball.” Thanks for clearing that up.
Luka Modric says the result is “two points dropped”, which is true, even if it feels strange to say so after that late equaliser. He says he hasn’t seen the handball incident, but feels it was “bad luck” the penalty was given. “We feel OK physically”, he adds. “We’ll try and win our last three games, and see what happens from there. We wanted it to be in our own hands, but that’s no longer the case.”
Full time! Real Madrid 2-2 Sevilla
Real Madrid still have time to almost snatch a dramatic victory, but Casemiro sidefoots his shot just wide. And that’s the final whistle. Phew. What a game!
GOAL! Real Madrid 2-2 Sevilla (Carlos own goal 94')
Kroos shoots from the edge of the area, it clips Diego Carlos’ heel and flies beyond Bono!
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94 mins: Valderve rakes the ball to Odriozola, whose attempted cross on the stretch is half-cleared away ...
93 mins: Sevilla have the ball upfield, Real frantically trying to get it back. Lopetegui is in a glass case of emotion up in the stands.
91 mins: Real Madrid are banging crosses in at a rate now, with Gudelj nodding one away before Bono climbs to collect the next. Tick tock ...
89 mins: Real can’t find any rhythm at all, but will have six minutes to try and get level. In all honesty, they need two goals for this to feel like anything other than a failure.
87 mins: Two more Sevilla changes, Lopetegui running down the clock. Ocampos and Rakitic are off, replaced by Luuk de Jong and Óliver Torres.
85 mins: Gudelj, brought on to beef up the Sevilla midfield, immediately picks up a booking.
82 mins: Two changes for Sevilla, with Óscar Rodriguez and Nemanja Gudelj coming on for Suso and Jordan.
81 mins: Benzema so nearly plays Hazard but his ball is overcooked, not ideal for a man with Hazard’s level of match fitness.
79 mins: Eden Hazard is on for Vinicius, who didn’t have a good game. Just over 10 minutes for Sevilla to hold on, and keep the four-horse title race alive ...
GOAL! Real Madrid 1-2 Sevilla (Rakitic pen 78')
Amid the mayhem, Ivan Rakitic is the coolest man in the (training) ground. He sends Courtois the wrong way, and Sevilla are back in front!
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Penalty for Sevilla!
Replays show that Eder Militão’s arm was in the air, and after a look at the screen, Juan Martinez Munuera awards the visitors a penalty!
Imagine the pressure on ref Martínez Munuera there, making one of the biggest decisions of the season... pic.twitter.com/J4YUBJenqD
— The Spanish Football Podcast (@tsf_podcast) May 9, 2021
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74 mins: And now, things get messy. Sevilla appeal for a penalty as the ball strikes Eder Militao’s arm. Play is waved on, and Benzema breaks clear. He rounds Bono, who hauls him down. That’s undoubtedly a penalty, and a red card – but it all depends on whether VAR awards Sevilla a spot kick! Ay caramba. This is huge...
73 mins: Valverde tests Bono with a shot from 18 yards and then Sevilla break, with Courtois forced to race a long way off his line to clear. Sevilla get a corner ...
Here’s the equaliser from Marco Asensio. Finish!
Marco Asensio gets Madrid back on level terms against Sevilla! ⚪
— Premier Sports 📺 (@PremierSportsTV) May 9, 2021
It's game on 👀 pic.twitter.com/1AoxTSEgto
71 mins: Apologies for stating the obvious, but this is a big 20 minutes. Real Madrid have had all the second-half momentum; can Sevilla dig in and deny them the win they need?
Less tactically savvy MBMs might have been about to type that taking Modric off was a weird decision. But not us.
Anyway, his replacement latches on to Benzema’s pass, holds the ball up and works it backwards. Kroos waits patiently for a gap to appear, then plays a diagonal ball back to Asensio, who fires clinically inside Bono’s near post!
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GOAL! Real Madrid 1-1 Sevilla (Asensio 67')
Talk about an instant impact. Marco Asensio fires Real Madrid level within seconds of coming on!
66 mins: Changes for Real, as Marco Asensio replaces Modric and young left-back Miguel steps in for Marcelo.
65 mins: Oof, so close to a brilliant equaliser here! Real win a corner, played short and worked to Modric, who scoops a pass to Kroos. His first-time pass is on a plate for Vinicius, but the Brazilian fluffs his finish. Modric and Kroos rightly look incredibly miffed.
63 mins: Zidane is preparing to make changes on the touchline as Odriozola’s cross is nodded away by Diego Carlos.
62 mins: Sevilla finally find a path upfield and suddenly it’s 3-on-3, Ocampos charging in from the left. He takes a touch too long to assess his options, and Odriozola prods the ball away. From the edge of the area Rakitic blazes his shot over, with the booked Casemiro closing him down in cavalier fashion.
60 mins: The hosts are finding it very easy to get within shooting range; this time Marcelo finds Casemiro, whose shot flies wide.
59 mins: Real Madrid are dominating possession now, and even when Sevilla prise the ball away they can’t do anything with it. Then the hosts release the pressure, Nacho hoofing a long-range effort into the stands.
57 mins: Lopetegui makes a change, bringing En-Nesyri on for Papu Gomez to offer an attacking focal point. Kroos’ free kick swerves and dips, forcing Bono to punch clear.
55 mins: Zidane is throwing the gauntlet down here, asking if Sevilla can offer anything on the counter when pinned further upfield. They haven’t done much so far, and Suso is booked for swinging out a weary leg.
53 mins: There are big handball appeals, with the referee waiting for the VAR verdict. The ball hit Joan Jordan’s arm after a ricochet off Diego Carlos; that’s not going to be a penalty.
51 mins: Modric blasts a shot with his left foot and Bono is caught out by the power, forced to scoop awkwardly behind. Real win a corner ...
50 mins: Real Madrid are stationed in the Sevilla half early in the second half, with Kroos pulling the strings in midfield. Marcelo, who seems to have shaken off that knock, is in Roberto Carlos territory on the left.
48 mins: Joan Jordan spins away from Toni Kroos, but his slide-rule pass down the middle to Gómez is overcooked. At the other end, Marcelo’s ball in towards Benzema is hacked clear of danger.
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46 mins: Acuña pulls off an elaborate turn on the edge of the box and fires his shot a few feet wide of Courtois’ far post.
Second half
Here we go. Sevilla resume with a deserved lead; Real Madrid need to turn things around to keep the title’s destiny in their own hands.
I imagine Zidane’s team talk may be similar.
Brondby coach Niels Fredriksen possibly about to become the biggest meme in the game pic.twitter.com/qmIVCWZa5y
— James Dart (@James_Dart) May 9, 2021
In the Premier League, West Brom are down after losing 3-1 at Arsenal. Big Sam has been relegated. This is already a momentous night for elite football.
A former Manchester City player has Sevilla ahead here, and it’s the same story in Turin where Brahim Díaz has put Milan ahead against Juventus. In Ligue 1, PSG are shaking off their Champions League hangover – Neymar’s penalty just before half-time has given them the lead at Rennes.
Half time: Real Madrid 0-1 Sevilla
Casemiro’s through ball rolls through to Bono, Real Madrid collectively shrug their shoulders, and that’s half time.
44 mins: Papu Gomez takes it, close to the corner flag, and Koundé climbs unmarked – but his header is straight at Courtois!
43 mins: Marcelo gives away a needless free kick, clumping Navas on the knee as the Sevilla full-back tried to swing in a cross ...
42 mins: Sevilla are searching for weak spots in Real’s suspect defence, pressing hard when they try to play out. Eder Militão in particular looks vulnerable.
41 mins: Lovely midfield work from Toni Kroos opens up a pocket of space for Casemiro, whose shot from 20 yards out whistles wide of Bono’s far post.
38 mins: Real Madrid’s latest attack fizzles out as Vinicius’ attempted pass inside the defender finds absolutely no-one. Marcelo is limping; another defensive headache may be on the cards for Zinedine Zidane.
36 mins: Sevilla have the chance to break upfield but it’s all a little too leisurely. They seem content to hang on to their lead until half-time at least. Julen Lopetegui, in the stands due to a touchline ban, is deep in thought.
34 mins: Nacho and Koundé bump heads contesting a corner, before Bono collects the ball. Real stay on the front foot, but Acuña makes a smart interception to take the ball off Valverde’s boot.
Here’s the Sevilla opener:
Fernando gives Sevilla the lead after Karim Benzema had an earlier goal disallowed for Madrid! ⚪🔴
— Premier Sports 📺 (@PremierSportsTV) May 9, 2021
What a big moment that could prove to be in the title race 👀 pic.twitter.com/NA2JNPGhKf
30 mins: Sevilla are sitting deep now, soaking up pressure as Real try to work an opening. They do so with ominous ease, Benzema collecting Marcelo’s pass and almost beating Bono with sheer power from 18 yard out.
27 mins: Acuña motors up the left flank, and Nacho has to look alive to cut out his cross towards Lucas Ocampos.
25 mins: Casemiro tries to make amends having conceded the free kick and then allowed Fernando space for the goal, but fires his shot straight at Bono from Vinicius’ path. The Brazilian winger is giving Navas plenty of trouble down the right, and curls in a shot which Bono collects.
Updated
GOAL! Real Madrid 0-1 Sevilla (Fernando 22')
And from it, Sevilla take the lead! Suso opts against swinging it in, instead playing in Navas, whose cross is nodded down by Rakitic, landing nicely for Fernando. He takes a touch, swivels and fires into the bottom corner!
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20 mins: Casemiro is booked, somewhat harshly, for what looked an innocuous foul 30 yards from his own goal. Suso stands over the free kick ...
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18 mins: Sevilla continue to play keep-ball, but sitting deeper after getting caught cold on that Real breakaway. Jules Koundé, who almost played Odriozola onside and lost Benzema for the cross, will be particularly relieved.
16 mins: Benzema fizzes a low cross into the danger area, but nobody is there in white.
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No goal! Benzema header is ruled out
The next time Real get out of their half, they take the lead! Odriozola gets forward from right back and swings in a cross to the far post, where Benzema heads home. But wait! VAR shows Odriozola was an inch offside – it won’t count.
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9 mins: Benzema ends a long spell of Sevilla possession, taking the ball and steaming down the left. Isolated, he tries to win a free kick on the edge of the area, but the referee waves his appeal away.
6 mins: Sevilla have made a confident start, controlling possession in the Real Madrid half. They win a corner which comes to nothing, but Real look happy to sit deep and wait for a chance to break.
3 mins: Vinicius, playing between Real’s four-man midfield and Benzema, gets his first opening on the left. His mazy dribble is shut down in stages by the Sevilla defence.
2 mins: Sevilla have set up in a 4-3-3 that’s reminiscent of Guardiola’s Manchester City, with no out-and-out striker in a rotating, high-pressing front three. No place in the starting line-up for either Youssef En-Nesyri or Luuk de Jong.
The players are heading out onto the pitch at Valdebebas. Real Madrid are in all white, Sevilla in all red. Game time!
There are a couple of other big games happening elsewhere in Europe tonight. In Italy, Juventus and Milan are fighting for a top-four finish – it’s 0-0 there early doors. In Ligue 1, PSG go to Rennes looking to cut the gap to leaders Lille back to a single point. That game kicks off in five minutes.
In Sunday’s other La Liga games, Villarreal suffered something of a Europa League handover, losing 4-2 at home to Celta Vigo. Maxi Gómez scored twice for Valencia as they beat Valladolid 3-0 to stop their slide down the table, and the great escape is on for Eibar after they grabbed a late win at Getafe. Worth noting that on the final day Atlético, Barça and Sevilla all face teams likely to be fighting the drop. The permutations are endless.
Because Real Madrid have a head-to-head advantage of Atlético, their task is clear: win their last four games, and they will retain the title. It’s a tough run-in, though. After tonight’s game, they visit Granada and Athletic Bilbao before ending the season at home to Villarreal. Here are all four sides’ remaining fixtures after tonight’s game:
Atlético (77pts): Real Sociedad (H), Osasuna (H), Valladolid (A).
Barcelona (75): Levante (A), Celta Vigo (H), Eibar (A).
Real Madrid (74): Granada (A), Athletic Bilbao (A), Villarreal (H).
Sevilla (71): Valencia (H), Villarreal (A), Alavés (A).
Team news
Real Madrid: Courtois; Odriozola, Eder Militão, Nacho, Marcelo; Casemiro, Kroos, Modric; Valverde, Benzema, Vinicíus.
Subs: Lunin, Altube, Hazard, Asensio, Isco, Mariano, Rodrygo, Blanco, Miguel.
Sevilla: Bono; Jesús Navas, Koundé, Diego Carlos, Acuña; Fernando, Rakitic, Jordán; Suso, Papu Gómez, Ocampos.
Subs: Vaclik, Javi Díaz, S Gómez, Rekik, Gudelj, De Jong, Rodríguez, En-Nesyri, Aleix Vidal, Escudero, Óliver Torres, Vázquez.
Preamble
This has not been a vintage Real Madrid season. Playing at their training ground, they have watched Atlético threaten to run away with the title and suffered what felt like an era-ending defeat to Chelsea in the Champions League. Meanwhile, Florentino Pérez’s Super League machinations, motivated by money problems, have made him the poster boy for the modern game’s greed. Real Madrid appear diminished, on and off the pitch. And yet, here we are.
Atléti’s draw at Barcelona – a game that was much more engaging than the 0-0 scoreline suggests – mean that Real can go top of the table with a win here, the title race in their hands with three games to go. As Sergio Ramos once said, “whoever says Real Madrid are dead is always proved wrong in the long term.” He said it in defence of Julen Lopetegui, pleading for patience as the manager’s Madrid tenure span off the rails in 2018.
Real Madrid caused a World Cup scandal by poaching Lopetegui from Spain, then gave him the comunicado oficiál just a few months later. The coach has rebuilt his reputation with Sevilla, who aren’t out of the title race themselves. An away win here would squeeze the top four to within four points of each other, setting up a dramatic sprint for the finish line. It’s up for grabs.
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