Real’s flavorless victory – boos from the crowd, referee favoritism, and poor play

Good footballers are playing badly. That was the case, it is the case, and it looks like it will remain so for some time, because Real Madrid has not looked for weeks like a team that should be attacking trophies. They struggle, somehow clear obstacles, but they are not convincing. Just as they walked a tightrope of uncertainty against Sevilla, in the final match of the calendar year they somehow added three points and at least temporarily closed the gap on Barcelona – 2–0.

Although built to dominate, to play fluidly and delight the crowd in almost every match, Xabi Alonso’s team has been so pale that the fans have whistled at them on several occasions. Both at the start, when the Andalusians pressed hard, and during the first half as Real struggled to create a chance, and again after the break, because the visitors resisted for a long time, which really angered the supporters.

It was almost like a performance without color, taste, or smell, in which the main protagonist turned out to be a player who for a long time had been in the third, even fourth, plan. The man of the match was Rodrygo. Regardless of the fact that he did not score. At least he moves and, in sporting terms, offers something concrete, starting with the Champions League match against Manchester City when he ended a months-long scoring drought, then scoring against Alaves in the previous La Liga round, and in the closing match of Saturday’s 17th round the Brazilian was practically a double assist provider.

First by taking the free kick from which Jude Bellingham headed the opener, and then late on by winning a penalty that Kylian Mbappe converted to equal Cristiano Ronaldo’s club record for goals in a calendar year (59).

That is one side of the story. The other is the favor Real enjoys in the football world. Yesterday, today, and, God willing, tomorrow as well. This time, realistically speaking, Alejandro Muniz Ruiz helped them, with decisions suggesting that the Madrid giant enjoyed “home refereeing.”

First: the general assessment of the Spanish media is that Rodrygo deserved to be sent off late in the first half, because he had already received a yellow for simulation, and the referee spared him another booking (which would have meant a red) when he stepped on the foot of his compatriot Marcao from behind. Second: Marcao himself was sent off for two yellow cards, and from the middle of the second half Real had a clear path to victory. Third: between those two incidents, Matias Almeida was sent off for protesting, so Sevilla had to play the second half without their head coach.

They did not hold out, even though they produced one of their better performances this season—similar to the one in which they brought down Barcelona. Once again they perfectly understood how they could hurt the favorite, and with a little more composure or concentration from Isaac Romero and Alexis Sanchez, who knows how the match might have unfolded. Sevilla’s attacks were repelled by Thibaut Courtois, allowing the favorite to play the closing stages a bit more calmly.

Even there, referee Muniz Ruiz embarrassed himself again. It seemed as if he was trying hard to award another penalty to Real so Mbappe could have a chance to break Ronaldo’s 2013 record, but VAR corrected him—twice! Kylian celebrates his birthday, level with Cristiano, but the royal club has to do better. On the pitch, to play as a team, and off it, to behave like gentlemen. This was neither.

LA LIGA - MATCHDAY 17

Friday

Valencia - Mallorca 1-1 (0-1)

/Duro 52 - Costa 23/

Saturday

Oviedo - Celta 0-0

Levante - Real Sociedad 1-1 (0-1)

/De la Fuente 90+4 - Kubo 45+1/

Osasuna - Alaves 3-0 (0-0)

/Budimir 72, 81 pen, De Haro 90+3/

Real Madrid - Sevilla 2-0 (1-0)

/Bellingham 38, Mbappe 86 pen/

Sunday

16.00: (5.00) Girona (4.15) Atl.Madrid (1.70)

18.15: (3.45) Villareal (4.40) Barcelona (1.88)

20.30: (2.50) Elche (3.10) Rayo Vallecano (3.30)

23.00: (1.73) Betis (3.50) Getafe (5.30)

Monday

23.00: (1.80) Ath.Bilbao (3.60) Espanyol (5.10)

***odds are subject to change***