Bellingham Header Lifts Madrid Past Stubborn Sevilla
Key Takeaways
- Real Madrid secured a hard-fought 2-0 victory over ninth-placed Sevilla at the Bernabéu
- Jude Bellingham's first-half header and Mbappé's late penalty sealed three crucial points
- Sevilla reduced to nine men after Marcão's dismissal in a fiery encounter
- Both goalkeepers shone with heroic performances in an evenly-contested battle
MADRID, SPAIN — Jude Bellingham rose majestically in the 38th minute to power home a header that would prove decisive as second-placed Real Madrid secured a 2-0 victory over Sevilla, maintaining their pursuit of the LALIGA summit. The England midfielder's towering finish from Rodrygo's pinpoint cross following a set piece gave Los Blancos the breakthrough in a match that proved far more challenging than the scoreline suggests, with the teams sharing possession almost equally at 52.9%-47.1%.
The opening goal arrived seven minutes before halftime when Rodrygo's delivery from a free kick found Bellingham unmarked in the centre of the box. The midfielder's header arrowed into the top left corner, leaving Odysseas Vlachodimos with no chance despite the Greek goalkeeper's otherwise stellar performance. The Bernabéu erupted as Bellingham wheeled away in celebration, his sixth league goal of the season proving crucial in breaking down Sevilla's stubborn resistance.
The visitors, sitting ninth with just 20 points, refused to capitulate despite falling behind. Isaac Romero and Alexis Sánchez led Sevilla's attacking efforts, forcing Thibaut Courtois into action repeatedly. The Belgian shot-stopper made five crucial saves to preserve Madrid's advantage, including a spectacular 66th-minute stop to deny Sánchez's curling effort from distance. At the other end, Vlachodimos was equally impressive, making six saves to keep his side within touching distance until the dying moments.
The match turned increasingly fractious as Sevilla chased an equalizer. The referee was busy, brandishing six cards in a feisty affair that saw tensions boil over in the second half. Marcão's evening ended prematurely in the 68th minute when the defender received his second yellow card for a foul on Bellingham, leaving Sevilla to battle with ten men. The visitors' task became insurmountable when they were reduced to nine men, though the specific details of the second dismissal came late in proceedings.
Real Madrid's attacking trio of Vinícius Júnior, Kylian Mbappé, and Rodrygo probed relentlessly, combining for 18 shots to Sevilla's 14, with eight finding the target compared to the visitors' five. Aurélien Tchouaméni and Arda Güler controlled the midfield battle, though Djibril Sow and Lucien Agoumé fought valiantly for the Andalusians. The statistics reflected a closely-fought contest, with Madrid edging the corner count 6-5 and committing 13 fouls to Sevilla's 19.
The decisive moment arrived in the 86th minute when Rodrygo was brought down in the penalty area by Juanlu Sánchez. Mbappé stepped up confidently, drilling his right-footed penalty into the bottom right corner to seal the three points. The French superstar's clinical finish ended any lingering hopes of a Sevilla comeback and secured Madrid's 12th league victory of the campaign.
Fran García and Raúl Asencio stood firm defensively for Los Blancos, with the latter earning a yellow card for his committed approach. The final ten minutes saw Madrid comfortably manage their two-goal advantage, with substitutes Gonzalo García and David Jiménez introduced to see out the victory. Courtois was called upon one final time in stoppage time, tipping Alfon González's long-range effort over the bar to preserve his clean sheet.
Looking ahead, Real Madrid will host Levante on January 18 as they continue their title challenge from second place, now on 39 points with a goal difference of +18.