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The La Liga title race is going down the wire as Real Madrid will be hosting Sevilla at Santiago Bernabeu in a very important clash. Los Blancos need to win each of their remaining four matches to win the title after their arch-rivals Atletico Madrid dropped points against FC Barcelona.
Zinedine Zidane’s men are just three points away from the summit, and that makes this clash against Sevilla even more exciting.
The fun part about this game is that Sevilla are also in the title race though it is a little far fetched. Julian Lopetegui’s men need to win this game against the Whites to stand any chance in the title and also hope that the other results go their way. Sevilla are currently in fourth position, four points behind their next opponents.
Real Madrid will enter this fixture with several players missing due to injuries. This has been the case for Zidane throughout the season, and the French tactician once again needs to find a way to win this crucial clash. The absentees for the game include players like Dani Carvajal, who is out with a hamstring injury. Zidane does not prefer Alvaro Odriozola that much so we may see Federico Valverde playing as a makeshift right back. Both the experienced centre-backs Raphael Varane and Sergio are out. The former is out with an abductor injury, while the latter has sustained another injury and will not be featuring.
On the other hand, Sevilla don’t have many injury concerns in their journey to the capital. The two players who are missing out are Joris Gnagnon and Munir El Haddadi. While Joan Jordan, Jules Kounde and Youssouf En-Nesyri, doubtful before the clash have all cleared their fitness tests and are travelling with the squad.
The last time these two teams met in the La Liga, Real Madrid somehow edged it and bagged all three points with a 1-0 win over Sevilla. The Blancos have kept clean sheets in all their last four meetings.
Key Players
Karim Benzema almost single-handedly has kept Real Madrid alive in the La Liga title race. Starting from scoring important goals to carrying the attack on his shoulder, Benzema has been a talisman for Los Blancos. With 21 goals, the 33-year old is only behind Lionel Messi in the scorer’s chart this season and once again Zidane will turn to him to score in the big clash.
Eder Militao has matured a lot in Ramos’ absence and has turned into a player on whom Zidane can bank upon. The Brazilian centre-back over the past has been dropping some man of match performances, guiding his sides to important victories. The 23-year-old reads the game intelligently and is also dominant in aerial battles. He is someone who can chip in with goals as well and has a knack of initiating buildups with his progressive passing. In Varane and Ramos’ absence, Militao will be a crucial piece in the jigsaw for Real Madrid.
Youssef En-Nesyri has emerged as the leader in attack for Julen Lopetegui’s men by netting 17 goals in the league this season. El-Nesyri will be eager to rectify his mistakes from their last game against Athletic Bilbao which ended in a narrow defeat. The 23-year-old is a phenom inside the penalty area in fact all of his goals have come from that range. He is known for his goalscoring instincts and smart movements which he uses mostly to bamboozle defenders in the final third.
Just like En-Nesyri in attack, Jules Kounde has been the leader for Sevilla in defence. The Frenchman is one of the reasons why Los Nervionenses are still in the title hunt. The 22-year-old has been very authoritative in his approach in defence and uses his tactical awareness and athleticism to make up for his average frame. He is extremely dominant in aerial duels and also a very fluent passer. Kounde will be vested with the responsibility of keeping Benzema at bay, and it will be a great battle for the viewers to witness.
Prediction
Real Madrid are massively shorthanded in this fixture and are missing some of their regular starters. But it is their willpower and determination that has kept them alive in the title race and also driven them to the Champions League semifinals. Hence we feel that Zidane’s men will again edge it out against Sevilla with a 2-1 scoreline.
