Daijiworld Media Network - Madrid
Madrid, Dec 21: Real Madrid moved to within a point of La Liga leaders FC Barcelona following a controversial 2-0 victory over Sevilla at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday. Jude Bellingham opened the scoring in the first half, and Kylian Mbappe sealed the win with a late penalty, marking his 59th goal of the year.
Sevilla had early opportunities, including a near miss by Isaac Romero, but failed to capitalize. Bellingham’s 38th-minute strike gave Madrid the lead, while a contentious sequence in the second half saw Rodrygo avoid a second yellow card, moments before Sevilla’s Marcao was sent off for a foul on Bellingham. The late penalty, earned by Rodrygo, allowed Mbappe to convert and secure the win.
Elsewhere in La Liga, Osasuna climbed out of the relegation zone with a 3-0 home win over Alaves, highlighted by Ante Budimir’s stunning volley and subsequent penalty, with Raul Garcia adding a stoppage-time goal. Levante salvaged a 1-1 draw against Real Sociedad thanks to a 94th-minute penalty by Adrian de la Fuente. Shortly after, Real Sociedad announced Pellegrino Matarazzo as their permanent head coach until June 2027.
Valencia and Mallorca played out a 1-1 draw, leaving both sides in the relegation battle.
This weekend’s fixtures include league leaders Barcelona visiting third-placed Villarreal and Atletico Madrid traveling to face struggling Girona.