Sevilla 3-0 Real Madrid
REAL MADRID SUFFERED their first La Liga defeat of Julen Lopetegui’s reign this evening as they were comprehensively beaten 3-0 by an Andre Silva-inspired Sevilla.
Lopetegui’s side were hoping to make the most of Barcelona’s loss at Leganes earlier this evening, but they were taken apart by Pablo Machin’s Sevilla and rarely looked like clawing their way back.
Madrid had no answer to the hosts in the first half, with a Silva brace and Wissam Ben Yedder volley leaving Los Blancos stunned at the interval.
Any chance of a comeback appeared to vanish early in the second half when a goal from Luka Modric – named the Best Fifa Men’s Player on Monday – was correctly disallowed by VAR, and Sevilla were ultimately good value for the win.
Madrid struggled to cope with Sevilla’s intensity and the hosts deservedly went ahead 17 minutes in – Pablo Sarabia releasing Jesus Navas after intercepting Marcelo’s wayward pass and the winger teed up Silva for a simple finish.
Navas was vital to Sevilla’s second four minutes later, devastating Madrid on the break before Thibaut Courtois parried his shot right to the lethal Silva to score.
Gareth Bale and Franco Vazquez both hit the woodwork before the half-hour mark, but Ben Yedder was not denied when he slammed Vazquez’s header into the top-left corner six minutes before the break.
Madrid stepped things up after half-time, but VAR prevented Modric from pulling one back and Sevilla then came close to adding another, only for Bale to block Guilherme Arana’s six-yard effort.
Bale was kept out by a fine save from Tomas Vaclik when one-on-one just after the hour mark, and Modric was withdrawn as Lopetegui looked to avoid further damage ahead of Saturday’s derby date with neighbours Atletico.
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