Sevilla have put a huge dent in the title aspirations of Real Madrid with a 1-0 win over Jose Mourinho's side on Saturday.
The only goal of the evening came after two minutes when Piotr Trochowski thumped a powerful effort past Iker Casillas from close range.
The expected response from the away side just never materialised, although Gonzalo Higuain had two clear chances in the first period of the match.
Here, Sports Mole dissects the 90 minutes of action between the two sides.
Match statistics:
Sevilla:
Shots 9
On target 7
Possession 39%
Corners 3
Fouls 21
Real Madrid:
Shots 15
On target 6
Possession 61%
Corners 4
Fouls 13
Was the result fair?
On the balance of play, you would have to say no. Madrid dominated possession after falling behind and might have entered the break ahead had Higuain converted two clear-cut chances in the opening period. The expected onslaught from Madrid did not really come, but they were still worth a point due to their overall performance.
Sevilla's performance
6/10. It wasn't the best of attacking displays from Sevilla, but they played exactly how you have to play to beat Real Madrid. It wasn't pretty, but it was effective. They got the early lead, before retreating into almost a 6-3-1 formation – with Jesus Navas causing all sorts of problems with his pace.
Real Madrid's performance
4/10. What has happened to the La Liga champions? The blame will be pointed at Cristiano Ronaldo – as it usually is - but his teammates offered him no support this evening. Mesut Ozil and Angel di Maria were extremely poor in the opening half, while Karim Benzema did not touch the ball in the second period. They will improve - they have to - but is it too late with Mourinho's side already eight points behind Barcelona?
Sports Mole's man of the match
Jesus Navas: It wasn't really a match for star performers, but the Spaniard played such a key role in his side's victory. The 26-year-old was a real threat on the break and did not give Marcelo and Co a moment's peace.
Biggest gaffe of the match
Iker Casillas's howler inside the opening minute. The Spanish number one nervously palmed an Alvaro Negredo shot into his box in the early stages, which led to the only goal of the evening.
Referee's performance
Alberto Undiano Mallenco had a host of tasty challenges to deal with throughout the 90 minutes, but he was quick to issue yellow cards when needed. The Spaniard also let the match flow, without allowing dangerous tackles to dictate the tempo.
What next?
Sevilla: Sevilla will look to continue their unbeaten start to the league season when they travel to Deportivo next Monday.
Real Madrid: Real Madrid open their Champions League campaign against Manchester City on Tuesday before facing Rayo Vallecano in La Liga on Sunday.
Matt Law
