Sevilla vs. Real Madrid: Winners and Losers from La Liga
Sevilla handed Real Madrid their first defeat of the La Liga season, as they turned around a 1-0 deficit to triumph 3-2 at their Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan home.
Having seen Barcelona take over top spot in the table with a 3-0 win over Villarreal earlier on Sunday, Madrid started the match three points behind their rivals.
It seemed Rafa Benitez’s side would move back to the summit when Sergio Ramos acrobatically scored from a corner to put Madrid ahead in the first half. The defender hurt his shoulder in the process of scoring, leading to him being replaced by Raphael Varane.
Without their ailing captain, Madrid’s defence fell apart.
Sevilla equalised before half-time through Ciro Immobile, the Italian striker scoring his first goal for the club from a tight angle.
Ever Benega made it 2-1 to the home team just after the hour, with substitute Fernando Llorente then giving Sevilla some breathing room by heading home a cross from the right wing.
James Rodriguez did pull a goal back for Madrid in added-on time, but it was no more than a late consolation.
Here B/R picks out the winners and losers from a thrilling game in Seville.
Winner: Sergio Ramos
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Sergio Ramos is a defender by trade, but you wouldn't have guessed it by the way he gave Real Madrid the lead against Sevilla.
A corner from the right reached the Spain international, who decided to attempt a bicycle kick. His outrageous effort ended up finding the bottom-right corner of the goal.
According to OptaJose on Twitter, it was the 37th time he had found the net in La Liga since the start of the 2006/07 season. No other defender has managed more than 23.
Ramos cannot have scored too many better goals during his career.
The spectacular strike against his former club came at a price, though. Ramos hurt his shoulder as he landed, but more on that to come.
Loser: Sergio Ramos
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It may be harsh to brand Sergio Ramos a loser, too. The biggest losers were a Real Madrid defence that crumbled following the departure of their skipper.
The 29-year-old briefly carried on after injuring himself while scoring the opening goal.
Eventually, however, he had to come off. Raphael Varane replaced his team-mate after 32 minutes of the match.
Manager Rafa Benitez has used the player sparingly since he suffered a dislocated joint in his left shoulder during the 4-0 Champions League win over Shakhtar Donetsk in September.
Ramos told Alberto Navarro from Madrid's official website: "My shoulder is so-so. For the goal I supported myself with my arm as I fell and tweaked it again. The important thing now is recovering and waiting until Tuesday, when I'll have a scan."
While he may sit out the friendlies against England and Belgium for his country, Madrid will desperately be hoping their captain is fit for their next fixture: Barcelona at home on November 21.
Winner: Yevhen Konoplyanka
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Yevhen Konoplyanka was the catalyst for Sevilla's fine comeback.
Playing from the left, the Ukraine winger combined with full-back Benoit Tremoulinas to constantly attack down Real Madrid's right-hand side.
With Konoplyanka—a summer arrival at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan—always looking to cut in from the flank, Tremoulinas was allowed to gallop into the space that had been vacated out wide.
Per OptaJose on Twitter, "Yevhen Konoplyanka is the first player to have made two assists in a league game vs. Real Madrid since Xavi Prieto in August 2014. Ace."
It was his corner that led to Ciro Immobile levelling the scores just before half-time.
Konoplyanka, 26, also left set up the opportunity for Ever Banega to give Sevilla a crucial 2-1 lead after 61 minutes, cutting the ball back to his team-mate after bursting into the penalty area.
Loser: Danilo
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Danilo will have been glad to get off the field after enduring a difficult 90 minutes.
The Real Madrid right-back found himself under siege down his flank—if it wasn't Yevhen Konoplyanka running at him, it was the supporting Benoit Tremoulinas running beyond him.
The Sevilla pairing had Danilo twisting and turning to such an extent he may have finished the game with motion sickness.
Bleacher Report's very own Karl Matchett tweeted, "Danilo is gonna have Konoplyophobia forever more after tonight.
Madrid spent a pretty penny to acquire the defender from Porto. Nando Calrissian on Twitter wondered if it was money well spent, "Someone explain to me why Madrid spent 40 million euros on Danilo I always forget."
It will be fascinating to see if manager Rafa Benitez sticks with Danilo for El Clasico. If life was tough against Sevilla, Danilo could have to deal with Barcelona's Neymar next.
Winner: Ciro Immobile
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Striker Ciro Immobile was only given the chance to start up front for Sevilla due to an injury to Kevin Gameiro.
However, the Italian made the most of the opportunity, scoring his first goal for the club just before half-time.
Immobile fired home from a tight angle after a corner had gone all the way through the area.
The 25-year-old was booked for taking off his shirt while celebrating, though the yellow card didn't spoil the moment.
The forward also had a hand in Sevilla's second goal, playing a one-two with Yevhen Konoplyanka to allow the Ukrainian to cross for Ever Banega.
Immobile left the field after 70 minutes to a tremendous ovation from the home fans. His replacement up front, Fernando Llorente, then scored the third for Unai Emery's side.
Loser: Cristiano Ronaldo
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Cristiano Ronaldo normally relishes the chance to go up against Sevilla.
The Portuguese international has tormented Los Blanquirrojos in the past, scoring 19 La Liga goals against them in just 10 previous appearances, according to Sky Sports on Twitter.
However, Ronaldo and Real Madrid endured a frustrating night at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.
How bad was it for the 30-year-old? According to WhoScored.com on Twitter, Ronaldo "had fewer touches (20) than any other outfield player to start the game for Real Madrid against Sevilla."
Despite the return of Gareth Bale, and the introduction of James Rodriguez as a second-half substitute, Ronaldo was forced to feed off scraps.
Perhaps, though, the player that might have helped Madrid the most was the absent Karim Benzema.
Goal journalist Ben Hayward wrote, "Madrid showed they are still missing the influence of Karim Benzema as a focal point in attack and their midfield and defence were overrun by an intense Sevilla side."
