Sevilla vs. Real Madrid: Score and Reaction from 2017 La Liga Match
Real Madrid's impressive domestic unbeaten streak came to an end on Sunday, as Sevilla deservedly grabbed a 2-1 win at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.
Sevilla were the better team during the first half, but chances were rare, with neither side creating much. Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring from the penalty spot after the break, but a Sergio Ramos own goal brought Sevilla on level terms again.
Stevan Jovetic scored a late winner, ending Real's unbeaten run at 40 matches and returning some excitement to the title race. Los Blancos lead the Andalusians by a single point in the standings, with a match in hand.
As Real's official Twitter account shared, Los Blancos used a strong XI, with Marco Asensio and Mateo Kovacic starting from the bench:
The presence of Nacho also meant Zinedine Zidane used an experimental formation to start the match, using five defenders. The system seemed to indicate the Real manager understood his team were in for a difficult night at one of the most difficult grounds in La Liga.
The opening stages of the match were nervy, with both sides giving away possession easily. The first chance fell to the visitors, as Ronaldo blasted a free-kick into the wall.
Sevilla had more possession early, but chances were few. Sergio Escudero and Samir Nasri created most of the danger, but the final pass always seemed to be lacking.
Ramos―who was greeted with a chorus of boos every time he came anywhere near the ball―headed over after a good delivery from Toni Kroos, and Steven N'Zonzi didn't have better luck with his header.
Zidane's 3-5-2 formation seemed to limit the opportunities out wide, and with too many bodies in midfield, the action was far from fluent, which didn't impress 101 Great Goals:
Nasri fired a shot high and wide, ignoring Wissam Ben Yedder, who was waiting for the ball in a better position. Goalkeeper Sergio Rico easily denied Ronaldo after he was played in, which was one of the rare chances the Real forward had.
With 10 minutes left in the half, Sevilla continued their dominance of the ball, but neither goalkeeper was called into action much. Ronaldo pulled a shot after good work from Karim Benzema, and a dangerous Vitolo cross caused some mild panic in the box. N'Zonzi powered an effort into the boards out of frustration, summing up the home side's first half.
Sevilla continued to see more of the ball after the break, with Escudero and Vitolo again heavily involved. Ronaldo and Benzema were completely isolated, and Real's best chance early in the half fell to Marcelo, who comically missed the target with his attempt.
Ben Yedder tested Keylor Navas with a low drive, and Lucas Vazquez kept wasting promising attacks by wandering offside. Ronaldo and Benzema did everything they could against the defence, to no avail, and Zidane ordered Alvaro Morata to start warming up.
The hosts started making errors, and one proved costly. Rico made light contact with Dani Carvajal inside the box, and while the Los Blancos full-back seemed to make the most of the contact, the official didn't hesitate, awarding a penalty.
The Guardian's Sid Lowe was shocked:
Ronaldo didn't care about Sevilla's complaints, patiently waiting for his chance to strike before sending the stopper the wrong way.
Sevilla responded by introducing Jovetic, while Real gladly dropped back and aimed for the counter. The substitute put Navas to work, but the chance was flagged for an offside call in the buildup.
Kovacic and Pablo Sarabia both entered the pitch as time started to wind down, while Casemiro spent some time on the pitch with an injury, to the dismay of the Sevilla players. The Brazilian was caught by his man, but the Andalusians were convinced he was faking it, only adding to the tense atmosphere.
And the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan lost it when Ramos, of all people, put the ball in his own net with just five minutes left to play. Lowe was already looking forward to the headlines:
The hosts pushed for a late winner, led by a lively Sarabia. Ronaldo had an incident with a Sevilla player and appeared to handle the ball before Jovetic sent the home fans into a delirium, bagging the winner in the final minutes.
As Lowe shared, the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan just about exploded:
As reported by ESPN FC's Dermot Corrigan, Zidane tips Sevilla to keep battling for the title:
Real's next outing will be against Celta Vigo in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday, while Sevilla will visit Osasuna in La Liga on Jan. 22.
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