Stunning Rodrygo brace bullies Sevilla

Despite Madrid being a way off leaders and La Liga champions Barcelona, there was still a lot in play when Real took on Sevilla at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium. Ancelotti's side wanted to give themselves breathing distance from rivals Atletico, while Sevilla wanted to maintain their slim chances of qualfying for European football next season via their league position.

The home side started the better, grabbing a quick opener via Rafa Mir. Bryan Gil had a great chance to open the scoring before seeing his saved shot rebound out to Mir, who made no mistake and confidently fired into the roof of the net. This angered Madrid, who came back out desperate to get one back. 

The side from the capital domainted the lion's share of possesion after that, but with few chances to show for it. However, their breakthrough came just before the 30' minute mark, when Rodrygo lined up a free kick from just outside the box. The Brazilian made no mistake from the dead ball, tricking Bono into taking a step in the wrong direction, which ultimately made his shot into the bottom corner unreachable.

The second half struggled to find a major rhythm, with neither side finding the breakthrough to start. However, a Sevilla free-kick was all Madrid needed to get ahead. After an expert counter-attack, Rodrygo found himself on the edge of the box. The Brazilian then turned the defender inside out before smartly slotting home into the bottom corner for his brace. The afternoon got worse for Sevilla when Acuna's rash challenge reduced them to ten men.

This result means Madrid are now a more comfortable four points ahead of cross-city rivals Atletico, which will do wonders for the fans' bragging rights. As for Sevilla, their best chance of qualifying for the highest level of European football for next season is by winning the Europa League final this Wednesday.

 

May 27, 2023