Sevilla vs. Real Madrid: Score and Reaction from 2015 La Liga Match
Sevilla stunned Real Madrid 3-2 at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan on Sunday, as Los Blancos failed to keep Barcelona at the top of La Liga.
Sergio Ramos opened the scoring for the visitors with a spectacular overhead kick, before goals from Ciro Immobile, Ever Banega and substitute Fernando Llorente destroyed Madrid's previously impeccable defensive record. Substitute James Rodriguez pulled one back in injury time to no avail.
After a slow start, the hosts dominated for large spells, while Real star Cristiano Ronaldo put in an anonymous showing for the profligate visitors.
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Gareth Bale returned to action for Los Blancos, while for Sevilla, Immobile came in for the injured Kevin Gameiro.
The visitors enjoyed much the better start as they pushed forward from the outset. Bale sent a tame headed effort toward goal to little avail, before Nacho crashed a leaping volley onto the post from a corner.
Real got their reward for their continued pressure in the 22nd minute, when Ramos sent an incredible bicycle kick in off the post from another corner. Unfortunately, the Spaniard landed on his shoulder in doing so and was forced off less than 10 minutes later.
OptaJose shared Ramos' incredible goal record:
Football journalists Sid Lowe and Dermot Corrigan noted the hosts' subdued start to the game, though Corrigan was unsurprised:
Sure enough, Sevilla improved following Ramos' goal, and Immobile should have equalised when the impressive Benoit Tremoulinas delivered a magnificent ball in from the left, only for the Italian to fluff his shot just six yards out.
Immobile had his goal soon enough, though, as he coolly fired in from a tight angle after escaping his marker from a corner.
The Italian could have doubled his tally four minutes before half-time but couldn't quite stretch far enough to turn in Yevhen Konoplyanka's cross.
At half-time, Corrigan noted the lack of involvement from Madrid's front three, particularly Bale and Ronaldo:
Sevilla started the second half the way they'd ended the first, with Banega seeing his shot blocked and Konoplyanka firing high from the edge of the area.
The latter was key to the former's goal just after the hour mark, when he played a lovely one-two with Immobile that tore through Los Blancos' defence before cutting the ball back for Banega to tap in.
Corrigan and football journalist Kieran Canning noted the significance of the strike:
From there, it was Real's turn to dominate as Bale and Ronaldo had several speculative efforts on goal, but Sevilla continued to show a clinical edge and gave the visitors a mountain to climb when Llorente rose to nod in Mariano's cross.
Real toiled away in an attempt to claw their way back into contention, and Rodriguez rifled in a lovely effort from distance. But his strike turned out to be the last kick of the game.
Sevilla's next outing sees them travel to the struggling Real Sociedad, where they should have little problem picking up a result.
Madrid take on Barca in El Clasico after the international break and will need to seriously improve on Sunday's performance after failing to inspire. Los Blancos will be hoping Ramos can return for the match, as the centre-back is a key component in their otherwise-solid defence.
Post-Match Reaction
Corrigan shared Real manager Rafa Benitez's comments after the match:
"We played 30 very good minutes, lots of control, in all levels. Then we let them score at deadball. That changed the game. From second goal we started to make mistakes, they took advantage and scored third. We came back and scored late, but it wasn’t enough. That was lesson from game, first half a good Real Madrid for long time, Second half we were not able to manage the situation.
"
Benitez would not be drawn into commenting on Ronaldo's performance though. According to Corrigan, he said: "I talk of team, not individual players, and we were not able to control game in second half."
