Sevilla 2-3 Real Madrid: Karim Benzema scores dramatic late winner as Real move 15 points clear

Sevilla 2-3 Real Madrid: Karim Benzema scores dramatic late winner as LaLiga leaders Real come from two goals down to move 15 points clear

  • LaLiga leaders Real Madrid staged an impressive comeback to beat Sevilla 3-2
  • Goals from Ivan Rakitic and Erik Lamela put Sevilla in the ascendancy
  • Substitute Rodrygo got a goal back for Real just five minutes after coming on 
  • Defender Nacho scored the equaliser for Real in the 82nd minute 
  • Karim Benzema struck in stoppage time as Real secured a dramatic victory 

Real Madrid will be confirmed as Spanish champions sooner rather than later and no one can deny them the crown. No team in Spain has the same capacity for comeback. No side never knows when it’s beaten in quite the same way.

They were 2-0 down at half time against Sevilla and looked groggy after another testing week in the Champions League but they turned things around with three second half goals and are now 15 points clear, albeit having played two games more than Barcelona, and with only six games left.

The winning goal came two minutes into injury time and from who else but Karim Benzema. He started the move playing in Vinicius who flicked it out to substitute Rodrygo Goes. He accelerated past Ludwig Augustinsson and pulled it back to Benzema.

Karim Benzema scored in stoppage time to send Real Madrid 15 points clear at the top

Karim Benzema scored in stoppage time to send Real Madrid 15 points clear at the top

Benzema's late winner sparked jubilant scenes, with Real going 15 points clear in LaLiga

Benzema’s late winner sparked jubilant scenes, with Real going 15 points clear in LaLiga

The 92nd minute strike from Benzema was a huge blow for Sevilla, who stay in third place

The 92nd minute strike from Benzema was a huge blow for Sevilla, who stay in third place

The Frenchman, now with 25 league goals, his best tally ever, always seems to have more time in the six-yard box than everyone else and he cooly buried it past Bono to win the game for his team.

Both teams will have complaints about key refereeing decisions. Eduardo Camavinga might have been sent off in the first half. And Vinicius looked to have a perfectly good goal ruled out in the second. But the result was fair and so will be Madrid title when they finally claim it.

Sevilla had enjoyed a far better first half than Madrid who were missing left back Ferland Mendy and holding midfielder Casemiro through injury and suspension. 

They had right-footed Dani Carvajal at left back and Toni Kroos in holding midfield until Camavinga swapped with him after 25 minutes.

Nacho (L) celebrates after scoring a late equaliser for Real Madrid against Sevilla

Nacho (L) celebrates after scoring a late equaliser for Real Madrid against Sevilla

Carlo Ancelotti's side took another big step towards winning LaLiga with this victory

Carlo Ancelotti’s side took another big step towards winning LaLiga with this victory

Rodrygo celebrates after he pulled a goal back for Real just five minutes after coming on

Rodrygo celebrates after he pulled a goal back for Real just five minutes after coming on

Ivan Rakitic celebrates his goal which opened the scoring for Sevilla against Real Madrid

Ivan Rakitic celebrates his goal which opened the scoring for Sevilla against Real Madrid

Carlo Ancelotti’s side were slower to everything and it couldn’t be blamed on a Champions League hangover because the player struggling most was Eder Militao who didn’t play against Chelsea.

Luka Modric brought down Tecatito on the edge of the area and Militao inexplicably moved out of the wall as Ivan Rakitic shot. He fired through the gap and into the corner for 1-0.

MATCH FACTS 

Sevilla: Bounou, Navas, Kounde, Carlos, Acuna (Gudelj 62), Jordan, Rakitic, Lamela (Ocampos 72), Gomez (Torres 46), Corona (Augustinsson 62), Martial (Mir 41)

Goals: Rakitic 21, Lamela 25 

Booked: Carlos, Martial, Torres 

Real Madrid: Courtois, Vazquez (Nacho 81), Militao, Alaba, Carvajal, Modric (Asensio 81), Kroos, Camavinga (Rodrygo 46), Valverde, Benzema (Diaz 90), Vinicius Junior 

Goals: Rodrygo 50, Nacho 82, Benzema 90 

Booked: Kroos, Camavinga, Nacho, Diaz 

That was on 21 minutes and four minutes later it was two. This time Militao lost out to Tecatito in a race into the area and when Thibaut Courtois came out to save at his feet the rebound ran to Erik Lamela and he scored into the empty net.

It could have been worse for Madrid because Camavinga had already been booked when he brought down Anthony Martial who was running clear towards the Madrid goal.

It should have been a second caution but referee Guillermo Cuadra Fernandez never gave a free-kick. Martial was injured in the incident and had to be replaced by Rafa Mir.

Madrid enjoyed a good spell just before the break with David Alaba finding Benzema with a brilliant pass. Bono saved well from the Frenchman who had been offside as he shot.

But that scare aside, and a possible handball when Diego Carlos jumped with his own goalkeeper and the ball dropped from Bono’s hands on to his arm, Sevilla had dominated.

After two minutes of the second half Madrid had almost pulled a goal back when Modric released Benzema but Bono saved. And four minutes after the restart they had scored. Carvajal played a one-two with Vinicius down the left and when he crossed Rodrygo, on as a half-time substitute, scored first time past Bono. Militao then almost equalized with a fierce shot from distance that Bono tipped over. It was now a very different game.

After Rakitic put Sevilla in front, Erik Lamela proceeded to make it 2-0 shortly afterwards

After Rakitic put Sevilla in front, Erik Lamela proceeded to make it 2-0 shortly afterwards

Sevilla's Anthony Martial, on loan from Manchester United, had to go off due to an injury

Sevilla’s Anthony Martial, on loan from Manchester United, had to go off due to an injury

And on 75 minutes the comeback looked complete when Modric flicked on Lucas Vazquez’ cross and Vinicius controlled the ball with his chest and fired it past Bono. The goal was ruled out for hand ball. Vinicius protested that the ball had hit his chest and Cuadra Fernandez went across to the pitchside monitor. It looked chest on the replays but the referee stood by his first call.

Madrid would not be denied though. Carvajal crossed from the right and Nacho, who had come on for Lucas, finished through a crowd of players in the six-yard box past Bono to level.

Most teams would now have eased up having secured an away point against the odds. Not Madrid. They kept ploughing forward and their talisman got the winner in the 93rd minute.

source: dailymail.co.uk