Sevilla stun Real Madrid in a rampant performance: 3 takeaways

Sevilla faced Real Madrid at the Ramos Sanchez Pizjuan in an exciting clash. Here are three things we learned.

Pablo Machin’s toughest test as Sevilla manager went perfectly as they came away with a 3-0 win over Real Madrid. It was a stiflingly hot encounter even though it was played late at night because cooling breaks were needed midway through each half.

However, it didn’t seem to affect the home team, who were a side possessed. Here are three takeaways from the entertaining encounter.

Sevilla show attacking intent

Los Hispalenses have been one of the most exciting sides so far in La Liga this season with 10 goals in five matches prior to this one including six against Levante.

The issue was whether they would be able to replicate that against a top side because Real Betis and Villarreal had both kept them out. However, they started all guns blazing and their brave approach brought rewards with two early goals and a third before half time.

There were early teething issues but Pablo Machin has been able to successfully implement a fluid 3-5-2/3-4-2-1 formation.

Only one change was made from the 6-2 win over Levante with Guilherme Arana coming in for Aleix Vidal as Machin appears to have settled on his ideal starting XI.

Pablo Sarabia is the key individual because he plays in an unfamiliar role as a central midfielder in the defensive shape which requires him to be disciplined positionally in order to ensure there isn’t space for the opposition to exploit as well as to close passing lanes to the forwards.

However, he comes to life when they transition, especially on the counter, because he is a willing third runner behind the forwards. Franco Vazquez also does this to some extent depending on the in-game scenario.

This was on display for the second goal when Sarabia was the furthest player forward on a quick counter, but Jesus Navas opted to go for the shot, which was pushed into the path of Andre Silva who fired it home.

Sarabia’s run created space for the Portuguese striker because he drew defenders towards him. In essence, they had effectively rotated between their usual positions.

It’s an ambitious set-up from Machin, especially in games such as this one, because they didn’t have a natural defensive midfielder to break up play due to Ever Banega acting as the pivot.

However, it means they had plenty of creativity in central areas to cut through the opposition regardless of whether they are in a disorganised transition or in a low block due to the passing range and vision.

Real Madrid’s issues are exposed

This was a humbling performance for Los Blancos because their early-season momentum came to a screeching halt at the hands of an inspired Sevilla side. Los Hispalenses harried them from the very beginning with an energetic style that looked to transition as quickly as possible.

They took advantage of any poor touches or sloppy passes with intelligent pressing and then drove at the heart of the defence.

Playing in the Ramos Sanchez Pizjuan has been troublesome for Real in recent seasons with losses in the past three seasons including the 2-1 defeat in 2017, which ended their 40 game unbeaten run.

Los Blancos have only won once here in the past seven meetings, so it’s starting to become something of a curse similar to Barcelona’s well-known issues at Real Sociedad’s Anoeta.

Sevilla’s 3-5-2 was dependent on the wing-backs and whether they got the balance of their responsibilities right. Their positioning was crucial in denying space on the flanks for Real’s forwards to exploit while also being able to quickly join a counter if possession was regained.

Jesus Navas put in a top performance as he was always ready to roam into the space behind Marcelo, who vacated his defensive responsibilities as he usually does.

Gareth Bale did manage to get in behind the defence a few times, but he was unable to take the chances. Aside from that him and Marco Asensio couldn’t take advantage of the lack of width by overloading effectively with the full-backs.

This inability worked well for Machin’s men because they often went through the middle where Sevilla were ready to regain possession and send it forwards.

Unsurprisingly, a side that has talented forwards, as well as a clear gameplan, can catch Julen Lopetegui’s team on the counter due to the space in wide areas. The first and second goals were prime examples of this.

This is the worst possible time for this to be revealed because they face Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid at the weekend, who are a well-oiled machine when it comes to absorbing pressure and breaking quickly. It only adds to they hype around what is likely to be a fascinating Madrid derby.

Andre Silva is reborn

The Portuguese striker had a torrid spell with AC Milan last season as he only scored 10 goals in 1,965 minutes across all competitions. In contrast, he already has six this season, which have all come in the league.

His two in this match were easy finishes, but he worked his way into the right areas to dispatch them. This isn’t easy considering how experienced Sergio Ramos, Raphael Varane and Casemiro are at snuffing out danger and blocking shots.

Having creative players around him with willing runners either side in such an ambitious system suits him because he can focus on converting chances rather than creating his own.

It contrasts heavily with his time at Milan where they had severe ball progression issues which often left him isolated and feeding on scraps.He already appears to have formed a strong partnership with Wissam Ben Yedder due to how well their attributes complement each other.

The French striker is willing to run in behind and stretch the opposition vertically, which works well against a high defensive line such as Real’s while Silva is an outlet for ground passes with his back turned to goal, although he also ran the channels when needed to exploit the large gaps.

As the match wore on, Real took more risks so he had even more space to work in, but he was unable to complete his hat-trick. However, it was a strong performance for the 22-year-old that is sure to fill him with confidence.

Based on his Sevilla career so far, making this move permanent would be the right step for his development because he already regained his form from his days with Porto when he was seen as a top young striker.

Luckily for Los Hispalenses, they have a €35 million option to sign him, which could turn him out to be a bargain.