Sevilla 3-2 Real Madrid – Talking Points

Real Madrid suffered their first defeat of the season at Sevilla, as the Andalusian club scored thrice to  grab a 3-2 win. Despite going down initially, Sevilla came back strongly and scored thrice to take a 3-1 lead. James pulled one back, late in injury time with a spectacular drive, but it turned out to be a consolation in the end.

Here are the major talking points of the match.

1) Gareth Bale, James Rodriguez and Pepe Return

Gareth Bale and Pepe made their first start in more than a month for Real Madrid, while James Rodriguez came off the bench to replace Isco in 63rd minute. Madrid had been under-performing in the absence of these players. The inclusion of Bale and Pepe provided a boost for Madrid, as both of them did well in their respective departments. While Bale was very lively throughout the match in attack, beating the Sevilla players on pace and strength, Pepe was active in defence, stopping some dangerous crosses. James was also involved in the 30 minutes he played in the match. All the three players had a good run on the pitch before the all important El Clasico against Barcelona which is just two weeks away now.

2) Left-back Position in Jeopardy

With Real Madrid missing three of their four full-backs through injuries, Nacho slotted into the left back position to cover. The Spanish defender who can play anywhere in the defence line started off badly as he took the first booking of the match in just the fifth minute. But after the yellow card, he was unbelievably good in the first half, making crucial interceptions. Nacho was also involved in the attacks, as he struck the post with a thunderous volley from outside the box. But as the match progressed, he became invisible and was at fault for constant Sevilla attacks, down from the left flank. If Marcelo and Arbeloa fail to recover in two weeks, Nacho might play against Barcelona, which won’t be easy at all.

3) Sergio Ramos Re-injured

Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos was substituted in the 32nd minute of the game as he re-injured his left shoulder. Ramos had already missed about seven weeks of action for Madrid due to injury, and while scoring the game’s first goal, injured his shoulder again. Ramos went for the overhead kick and scored spectacularly, but in the process, landed awkwardly on his bad shoulder. Raphael Varane replaced him in the first half, but the main problem for Madrid will be his absence, if he fails to recover in time for the El Clasico.

4) Cristiano Ronaldo’s Form

The Portuguese superstar has been out of sorts lately for Madrid. Ronaldo hasn’t been scoring much this season. But what is more concerning about him is his lack of activeness on the pitch. His passing has been erratic, he doesn’t press much now, and his shooting boots have been missing. He failed to get even a single shot close to Sergio Rico’s goal against Sevilla, forget about getting it on target. And with the big game against Barcelona around the corner, Ronaldo’s form is a very huge blow for Madrid.

5) First Loss for Madrid

A loss to Sevilla means that there is no team remaining unbeaten in the top six leagues in Europe. Madrid encountered their first defeat of the season in all competitions, thanks to some shambolic defending. Rafael Benitez’s men let in three goals for the first time in this whole season, as their lack of energy was punished by the Sevilla players. Madrid looked totally out of sorts, and two wonderful goals and some misses from the Sevilla players kept the score line respectable. This means that Madrid go into the clasico with two consecutive poor performances – first against PSG and now Sevilla. Benitez’s men need to play a lot better if they are to get the better of Barcelona, who had a good outing in today’s game also as they beat Villarreal 3-0 to go three points clear at the top of La Liga.