Real Madrid vs Sevilla

Estadio Santiago Bernabeu forms the backdrop for a heavily anticipated La Liga meeting between Real Madrid and Sevilla. 

Real Madrid’s stuttering La Liga title defense took another hit last weekend as Rayo Vallecano held Carlo Ancelotti’s side to a goal-glutted 3-3 draw, leaving them a point adrift of table-topping Barcelona pre-round. A lack of consistency has seen ‘Los Blancos’ deliver a mixed bag of performance across their last three league outings (W1, D1, L1), albeit each featured 3+ total goals, underscoring the potential for a high-scoring event. Virtually unplayable in Madrid, Ancelotti’s men have registered seven wins from their eight home league fixtures this season (L1), winning the last two against Osasuna and Getafe by 2+ goals ‘to nil.’ Furthermore, except for a 4-0 rout at the hands of Barcelona in October, ‘Los Merengues’ haven’t lost a top-flight match at home since April 2023 (W27, D4).

Not even the most optimistic Sevilla fans would dare to dream big ahead of this trip, even though the club paid a fitting tribute to Jesus Navas last weekend, beating Celta Vigo 1-0 in the Spaniard’s farewell game. Manager Garcia Pimienta seeks back-to-back league triumphs for the first time this season. Yet, he faces a Real Madrid side he’s lost to in both previous managerial H2Hs! Leaving the comforts of their home spells further trouble, with ‘Los Rojiblancos’ picking up just one win on eight La Liga travels this season (D3, L4). Moreover, the visitors haven’t won a top-flight game at the Santiago Bernabeu since 2008 (D1, L16), highlighting the size of the task awaiting Pimienta and his troops this weekend.