Real Madrid vs Sevilla
Time rarely stands still at Real Madrid, and the past week has been a case in point.
On Tuesday, came the announcement that will delight Madridistas, and put fear into their La Liga opponents, when it was confirmed that one of the best players in the world will don the famous white shirt next season.
In swapping Paris for Madrid, the Bernabeu will be the new home for some Kylian Mbappe magic.
At the same time, this weekend they will welcome back one of their favourite sons, a former skipper who played such an integral part in their success – a period Mbappe will be hoping to emulate over time.
You see, the stars come and the stars go but Madrid keeps on turning the La Liga 2024 highlights.
Talking Points
That man in question is Sergio Ramos – the now veteran centre back who was behind so many of their European glories.
The 37-year-old returned to Spain with his boyhood club Sevilla last September and this will be his first time back at the Bernabeu in nearly four years.
It’s the club where he won 22 trophies in 16 years before leaving to join PSG in 2021.
Ramos won La Liga five times and the Champions League on four occasions during his time at Real.
In total, he made 671 appearances for the Spanish giants, making him the club’s fourth-highest all-time appearance maker.
He will be afforded a heroes reception on Sunday evening, of that there is no doubt. Yet once the match starts, Real’s sole focus will be on maintaining their lead at the summit.
They currently lead the table by six points from surprise high-flyers Girona, this despite having to settle for a point in a 1-1 draw at Rayo Vallecano last time out.
Jude Bellingham is on his way back from injury but is not expected to be back quite in time for Sunday after aggravating ankle ligament issues.
Defender Antonio Rudiger could be available though as he aims to recover from a thigh muscle problem suffered against Getafe three weeks ago.
If the German is fit to train on Friday, he will likely be included in the squad to face Sevilla.
As for the visitors, the man in the dugout (the club’s third manager this season), Quique Sanchez Flores, is no stranger to Madrid.
As a player, he made the move from Valencia to Real aged 29 and played 30 times in his first season as Jorge Valdano’s side ended Barcelona’s run of four straight Spanish titles.
Last season’s Europa League winners are enjoying a fine run and haven’t lost since a 5-1 hammering at Girona last month.
That they are only one point clear of the drop zone will add to the pressure this weekend, although they should have enough quality to pull clear over the next few months.
History
September 2018 was the last time Sevilla beat Madrid, a match I covered for Sbotop when some Silva service helped Sevilla sink Los Blancos.
At that point, Sevilla had not lost against them for three and a half years.
Now it is role reversal and Real have won eight and drawn two of the last 10. That includes being undefeated in their last 10 meetings.
Earlier this season, the sides drew 1-1 in Andalusia when Federico Valverde’s early opener was cancelled out by an own goal.
Real did the double over the eventual Europa League winners last term.
They won 3-1 in the corresponding fixture when Luka Modric, plus late goals from Lucas Vazquez and Valverde, secured victory after Erik Lamela had drawn Sevilla level.
Last May, a double from Rodrygo sealed the points to overturn Rafa Mir’s earl opener.
Overall, Real have triumphed in 40 of their 60 clashes with 13 Sevilla successes and seven draws.
Betting Tip
After dropping points last weekend, Real Madrid will be as eager as ever to get back to winning ways – and no doubt boosted by this week’s announcement that they are going to be significantly strengthened this summer.
They are backed with the SBOTOP La Liga 2024 betting odds too priced 1X2 @ 1.29 compared to the Andalusians @ 7.40. Even the draw is not fancied @ 5.10.
It is similarly one-sided with Asian Handicap odds such as Real Madrid -1.75 @ 2.12 and Sevilla +1.25 @ 2.26.
A re-run of last season is available @ 10.50 with Correct Score 3-1, while, given the talent on show, you could rightly expect goals so how about over 3.25 @ 2.14, Total Goals 2-3 @ 2.11, and 4-6 @ 2.54 which contrasts with Total Goal 0-1 @ 4.98.
I am going to plump for a Real victory for this one.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT))
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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