An electrifying performance from Sevilla – combined with a remarkably sloppy first half display from Real Madrid – allowed the Andalusian side to claim a famous and fully-deserved 3-0 victory.
Frontmen Andre Silva and Wissam Ben Yedder were the men on target as all the goals came in the first half, and the damage could have been greater as Los Blancos only started playing after the break.
Let’s review three of the big talking points to emerge from a spectacular night at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.
SILVA TAKES CENTRE STAGE
Andre Silva shone for Sevilla.
It was quite a night for Sevilla striker Andre Silva, who showed that he meant business by forcing a save from Thibaut Courtois in the very first minute and proceeded in the same fashion by netting the first two goals.
The opener owed a lot to a pinpoint assist from Jesus Navas, who profited from an error by Marcelo to run clear into the box before unselfishly squaring a low pass which Silva decisively swept home. The second goal also came after the visiting defence was caught napping, with a lightning break from a corner resulting in Navas’ shot being saved but Silva following up to slide home.
The Portuguese striker now has six goals in La Liga so far this season, including a hat-trick on his debut against Rayo Vallecano, and sits proudly top of the scoring charts with one more than Lionel Messi and Crhistian Stuani.
His growing stature was also further confirmed by the winning goal for Portugal in the recent Nations League victory over Italy, and the 22 year-old looks set for a huge career.
Sadly for Sevilla, he will probably only spend one season at the club on loan from AC Milan, who are surely now ruing their decision to let him go. The way he’s started, his year in Spain could prove to be something very special indeed.
BENZEMA ON THE BRINK?
Fortress. 🏟️ https://t.co/GKiVIoS7FF
— Sevilla FC (@SevillaFC_ENG) 26 September 2018
While home team striker Silva delivered a sterling performance, the opposite is true of misfiring Real frontman Karim Benzema.
The inconsistent Frenchman started the season well with braces against Girona and Leganes, but he has now gone three consecutive league games without registering a single shot on target.
He cut a sorry figure throughout this contest before his misery was cut short with a substitution for Mariano Diaz with just 58 minutes on the clock, and his place is surely now in jeopardy ahead of the Madrid derby against in-form Atletico on Saturday night.
Benzema was always a protected species under compatriot former coach Zinedine Zidane, but new boss Julen Lopetegui is unlikely to be quite so accommodating and Benzema’s time as a guaranteed starter is surely running out.
If he does manage to retain his place for the visit of Atletico, it could be his last chance to show that he still deserves to be placed ahead of Mariano in the pecking order.
MARCELO INJURY COMPLETES WRETCHED NIGHT
Just to make things worse for Lopetegui, his team was reduced to ten men for the final stages as Marcelo limped out of the action, apparently suffering a non-contact muscle strain.
The veteran Brazilian now faces a race against time for Saturday’s derby, and with fellow first-choice full-back Dani Carvajal also currently out of action it could leave their back line seriously depleted for the visit of Atletico.
The obvious options as replacements for Marcelo and Carvajal are Nacho on the left and summer signing Alvaro Odriozola on the right, with that duo both playing in last weekend’s win over Espanyol.
But those two would offer nothing like the same kind of attacking threat as the usual starters, whose importance to the team could compel Lopetegui to press them into action even if they are not fully fit. And with Isco out for a month with appendicitis, Madrid’s absentee list appears to be lengthening at an alarming rate.
