Real Madrid beat Sevilla 4-2 on Sunday at the Santiago Bernabéu in the 17th round of LaLiga. Without Vini Jr., the merengue team imposed their strength and climbed to second place with 40 points, one less than Atlético Madrid. The match had goals by Mbappé, Valverde, Rodrygo, and Brahim, and an emotional farewell for Jesús Navas from Sevilla.
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Real Madrid takes control from the start
The match was off to a quick start with Real Madrid setting the tempo; within just 10 minutes, Mbappé stroked a powerful shot from outside the box that couldn't be stopped by Álvaro Fernández. A few minutes later, a corner play saw Valverde double the advantage after a precise long-range stroke.
Rodrygo took advantage of a well-orchestrated play down the right in the 27th minute. Lucas Vázquez sent in a low cross, and the Brazilian calmly slotted it home to make it 3-0. Despite the comfortable lead, Sevilla managed to pull one back before halftime through Isaac, who took advantage of a defensive lapse.
Merengues keep the pressure and control the game
Sevilla came out after the break in search of a way back, but Courtois was in top form, denying Isaac an early second goal with a quick reflex save. Real Madrid responded with their fourth goal in the 55th minute as Mbappé set up Brahim Díaz, who coolly finished past the advancing keeper.
There continued to be dangerous chances and Sevilla kept on pressing before an Isaac well-taken shot bounced off the post. An additional goal by Lukebakio set the score to 4-2 and Real Madrid continued to get in control to obtain the three points without any noticeable problems.
The farewell of Jesús Navas
The moment of the night perhaps came in the 65th minute with Jesús Navas' introduction, as he played his final game. He received a standing ovation from all in the stadium, something he had earned with a brilliant career; Sevilla's legend retired.
Real Madrid's concentration on the title race
This victory marked Real Madrid's 12th win in the competition and capped off an impressive year. The team now looks ahead to a tight battle for the league title with Atlético Madrid, setting the stage for an exciting second half of the season.
Meanwhile, Sevilla remains in 12th place and will need to address defensive issues to climb higher in the table.