Real Madrid moved four points clear at the top of La Liga with a 2-1 win over Sevilla on Wednesday.
Iago Aspas had one back for Sevilla late on after goals from James Rodriguez and Jese Rodriguez had sent the home side 2-0 ahead inside 36 minutes.
However, Los Blancos held on to secure all three points and continue their winning run in the league.
Here, Sports Mole dissects the 90 minutes of action between the two Spanish rivals.
Match statistics
REAL MADRID
Shots: 14
On target: 4
Possession: 60%
Corners: 4
Fouls: 9
SEVILLA
Shots: 15
On target: 3
Possession: 40%
Corners: 6
Fouls: 21
Was the result fair?
Real Madrid will feel that their domination of the possession and number of chances created meant that they deserved to claim all three points, but Sevilla will be awfully disappointed to leave the Bernabeu without anything to show for their troubles. It was a strange first period, with three players being forced off injured - the third of which was Sevilla goalkeeper Beto, who left the field on a stretcher. Real Madrid, meanwhile, lost Sergio Ramos and their first goalscorer James inside 27 minutes.
Sevilla had at least three golden chances in the first half, but Vicente Iborra missed a one-on-one with Iker Casillas, before striking the post. Vitolo also had an excellent opportunity, but it was the hosts that notched first after 12 minutes. Both of Real Madrid's goals stemmed from poor Sevilla defending, which will be the most disappointing aspect of their defeat. The second half was fairly uneventful, but Aspas set up a grandstand finish. It wasn't to be for Unai Emery's side, but they will feel that their performance as a whole deserved something and there is no question that they have a strong case.
Real Madrid's performance
This was the type of match where the points were all-important. Putting on a strong showing for the supporters is always high on the priority list for Real Madrid, but they had to struggle for the win against Sevilla. They did not play particularly well in the first half, but entered the break 2-0 ahead following poor defending from Sevilla and indeed missed chances down the other end. On another day, the away side would have led at the break and placed a different complexion on the second period. Two goals arrived, but they really missed Cristiano Ronaldo. Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema both had bright moments, but neither really put their stamp on the match. Luckily for Los Blancos, however, Ronaldo will return from his suspension this weekend.
This win, however, might have come at a price for Real Madrid. Ramos and James both limped off in the first period, while Marcelo picked up a booking, which will rule him out of their trip to Atletico Madrid. As a result, Carlo Ancelotti might be without three of his first-choice back four against the Spanish champions, with Pepe also a doubt. The hosts might have put this game to bed in the second period, but they missed some key chances, which set up a nervy finish. It was arguably one of their poorest performances of the season, but they managed to secure all the points, which at this stage is all that matters.
Sevilla's performance
Emery might well look back at this match as an opportunity missed. In what was a bizarre first period, Sevilla had the better chances, but Iborra was guilty of losing his nerve in the final third. Had one of the midfielder's chances fallen to Carlos Bacca then it might have been a different story, but that said, the Colombian was far from his best in the Spanish capital. Gerard Deulofeu was also extremely disappointing, but Vitolo caused some problems in wide areas. There were positives, but Sevilla's lack of intent until the latter stages was quite poor. Real Madrid were struggling around the hour mark, but it took until the 80th minute for Sevilla to open their tally, with Aspas scoring his 10th goal of the season from the bench.
The Europa League winners did push for an equaliser in the latter stages, but Real Madrid were fairly comfortable closing out the match, which is strange considering the closeness of the scoreline. Defensively, it must be said, Sevilla were really poor. Both of Real Madrid's goals were avoidable, while they took time to recover after losing goalkeeper Beto in the 35th minute. Indeed, one minute after Beto had departed, Real Madrid had their second. At 2-0, the game was probably over and Sevilla offered the impression that they also thought that was the case. There are positives to take, but a number of negatives as well.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Isco: It wasn't really a fixture where one single player stood out, but Isco had another super match in midfield. The Spaniard is now a key player for Real Madrid after initially struggling for football and he continued his strong form at the Bernabeu. The midfielder was classy in possession and helped create a number of chances for the hosts.
Biggest gaffe
As mentioned, both sides were poor defensively, but Bacca had a bit of a stinker for Real Madrid's second. For some reason, the Sevilla striker decided to pass straight to Isco under little pressure. The Spaniard welcomed the gift and found Benzema, who set up Jese at the far post. The second goal proved decisive and Bacca must take a slice of the blame for his involvement.
Referee performance
As expected, it was a busy 90 minutes for referee Ignacio Iglesias. The Spaniard issued nine bookings in total - six of which came for the visitors. Sevilla defender Fernando Navarro will be thankful to Iglesias for keeping him on the pitch after making a couple of late challenges having already picked up a first-half booking. Sevilla were also unhappy with what they viewed as favouritism towards the hosts in the first period, but Iglesias had a decent match overall.
What next?
Real Madrid: Next up in the league for Los Blancos is a trip to the Spanish champions Atletico on Saturday.
Sevilla: Emery's side, meanwhile, will travel to Getafe on Sunday afternoon.
Matt Law
