Bellingham And Mbappe Steer Madrid Past Stubborn Sevilla
Real Madrid stayed in the LaLiga title hunt with a gritty 2-0 victory over Sevilla at the Bernabeu, as Jude Bellingham struck before the break and Kylian Mbappe sealed the points late from the penalty spot.
Real Madrid collected three vital points on Saturday night after overcoming a spirited Sevilla side in a match that proved far tougher than the scoreline suggests.
The hosts started on shaky ground and were nearly punished early on when Isaac Romero attempted an audacious chip over Thibaut Courtois, only for the effort to drift narrowly wide. Sevilla continued to find joy breaking through Madrid’s midfield with alarming ease, exposing defensive gaps that left the home crowd uneasy.
Despite struggling to impose rhythm, Madrid found a breakthrough just before half-time. Rodrygo delivered a pinpoint free-kick into the area and Jude Bellingham rose highest to glance a header beyond Odysseas Vlachodimos, handing Los Blancos a crucial lead against the run of play.
Sevilla refused to back down after the interval and repeatedly threatened to level matters. Romero squandered a series of clear chances, while Alexis Sanchez tested Courtois with a fierce long-range strike that forced a sharp save. Madrid’s goalkeeper proved decisive, keeping his side in front during a nervy spell.
The turning point arrived in the 68th minute when Sevilla defender Marcao was shown a second yellow card for a late challenge on Bellingham, reducing the visitors to ten men. Even then, Madrid struggled to kill off the contest and were grateful for Sevilla’s wastefulness in front of goal.
Relief finally arrived four minutes from time. Juanlu Sanchez tripped Rodrygo inside the box and Kylian Mbappe calmly stepped up to convert the resulting penalty straight down the middle. The goal was Mbappe’s 59th of the calendar year for Real Madrid, drawing him level with Cristiano Ronaldo’s long-standing club record.
Madrid pushed for a third goal late on, but a second penalty award was overturned following a VAR review, ensuring the score remained at 2-0 at full-time.
The win moves Real Madrid to within one point of the league summit ahead of their next fixture against Real Betis. Sevilla, meanwhile, remain ninth with 20 points from 17 matches and will look to bounce back when they host Levante in their next outing.
