Real Madrid made it a comfortable Sunday evening at the Bernabéu, beating Sevilla 4-1 in La Liga’s ninth round to climb to fourth place with 18 points. Kylian Mbappé grabbed a brace, Güler opened the scoring, and Diomande was the standout performer with a goal and an assist in a dominant second-half display. José Mourinho’s side led 2-0 at the break and never really looked threatened until Manu Bueno pulled one back in the 80th minute, by which point the result was long settled.
Key Moments
- 23′, Yellow cards for both Dean Huijsen and Félix Correia after an argument between the two players, setting an edgy tone early on.
- 30′, Güler breaks the deadlock, finishing after a pass from Diomande to give Real Madrid the lead.
- 37′, Kylian Mbappé doubles the advantage, converting after a Bellingham assist to make it 2-0 before half-time.
- 63′, Mbappé tucks away a penalty to put the match beyond any doubt at 3-0.
- 80′, Manu Bueno pulls one back for Sevilla, assisted by Stassin, making it 3-1 with ten minutes left.
- 82′, Diomande restores the three-goal cushion almost immediately, finishing from an Tchouaméni pass to seal the 4-1 scoreline.
Tactical Breakdown
Real Madrid controlled this match from the first whistle, finishing with 65 percent possession and 666 total passes (604 accurate) against a Sevilla side that struggled to build play in their own third. Mourinho’s 4-2-3-1 created overloads in central areas, and the hosts’ xG of 2.32 against Sevilla’s 0.81 tells the story of the gap between the two sides. Eight shots on goal to Sevilla’s five, with Courtois barely troubled until the visitors’ consolation.
The match’s decisive stretch came between the 56th and 65th minutes, when Sevilla made two simultaneous substitutions to try to change the game, only for Mbappé to convert from the spot four minutes later to make it 3-0. Real Madrid responded to the brief flicker of a Sevilla comeback, with Manu Bueno’s 80th-minute goal answered almost instantly by Diomande two minutes later. The double switch of Brahim Díaz and Bernardo Silva for Endrick and Bellingham around the hour mark helped Real Madrid maintain control without expending energy, with the result already settled.
Sevilla were passive in the first half, sitting deep in a 4-2-3-1 but offering little in transition. Vargas lasted only 45 minutes before being hooked, and Peque Fernández and Ure were withdrawn together at the 56th minute, pointing to how little Luis García Plaza’s visitors had created. Juan Iglesias had a night to forget at right back, picking up a yellow card in the 69th minute before being substituted out at 72, finishing with a 4.84 api-sports rating. Sevilla’s 14 fouls and the inability to string passes together in the second half left them relying on a late consolation for a positive talking point.
Player Ratings
Match Context
Standings
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Verdict
Real Madrid move to 18 points and sit fourth in La Liga, three points behind Real Betis in third and nine off leaders Barcelona. Sevilla drop to sixth on 14 points after a performance that offered little over 90 minutes. For Mourinho’s side, this was the kind of emphatic home win that keeps them in touch with the top of the table as the season enters its tenth round.