Sevilla 1-1 Real Madrid: Ramos clashes and Ancelotti fumes
Sevilla 1-1 Real Madrid: Sergio Ramos claimed the spotlight as he clashed with several former teammates while manager Carlo Ancelotti fumed at controversial referee decisions.
David Alaba scored an own goal but Los Blancos’ captain Dani Carvajal saved the day with a late header to secure one point at Sevilla in one of the biggest games of La Liga 2023/24 Matchday 10.
With the frustrating draw, Real was under the threat of losing top place on the standings to either surprising package Girona or being closed up by defending champions Barcelona.
Sevilla 1-1 Real Madrid – Highlights
It was a feisty affair in Seville, as a frustrated Real were thwarted by two early disallowed efforts following contentious refereeing decisions.
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Italian tactician Ancelotti had a go at the referees several times, and he had his reasons.
Ancelotti complained to the referee repeatedly in the first half. He ruled out an early Federico Valverde strike for offside in the build-up, said he had stopped play before Jude Bellingham put the ball in the net, and turned away Real’s claims that Jesus Navas had fouled Vinicius Jr. in the penalty area.
Sevilla started to fight back into the match and almost scored as Carvajal made a goalline clearance to keep out an Ivan Rakitic strike.
The Spanish, facing the club where he made his name for the first time since rejoining his childhood team, made a crucial goal-line clearance to help Sevilla keep the game level before halftime.
The second half was all about the goalkeepers, with Kepa Arrizabalaga and Orjan Nyland making brilliant saves to keep their sides in contention.
Sevilla’s Nyland made a brilliant reflex save to deny a Rodrygo point-blank strike early on, and Real’s Kepa palmed around the post a fine Ivan Rakitic strike from range.
But Real went behind after an own goal by defender Alaba as he challenged forward Youssef En Nesyri in the 74th minute.
However, Carvajal leveled the score four minutes later with a towering close-range header from a Toni Kroos cross.
The match became increasingly tense, with five bookings in the final minutes following several scuffles.
Ramos was the MVP
It was an emotional game for Ramos, who started his career with Sevilla but soon moved to Madrid, where he won 22 trophies in 16 seasons. He then departed in 2021 as one of the greatest players in the club’s history.
Ramos saved a goal-bound shot by former teammate Toni Kroos in the first half. The center-back also had two late-scoring chances almost to snatch the win for the hosts.
He then became a social media meme who has gone viral with his features in some run-ins with Antonio Rudiger, who arrived at Madrid last season in part to fill the hole left by the aging Ramos.
In one clash, Ramos grabbed the cheeks of Rudiger while the German defender held him as they exchanged words.
There were furious reactions from Madrid’s fans when they saw Ramos clash with Jude Bellingham, Madrid’s new star. Ramos elbowed the English midfielder in the head during a corner and earned a yellow card for a foul in the second half.
The game’s final stretch was marred by a tussle between several players after Vinícius Júnior pushed Sevilla goalkeeper Orjan Nyland. That led to more severe shoves by several players, including Ramos and Vinícius.
Other Results
Brais Méndez scored from a pass by Takefusa Kubo to give Real Sociedad a 1-0 win over Mallorca before the Basque side visits Benfica on Tuesday in the Champions League.
Real Betis drew 1-1 at Getafe after Marc Roca scored for the visitors in the first minute, and Borja Mayoral equalized shortly after.
Author Details
TOM is a dedicated soccer writer whose words come alive on the page, mirroring the electric energy of the pitch. With a keen eye for detail and an unbridled love for the sport
