Karim Benzema got here up giant all over again.
He scored in second-half stoppage time on Sunday as Actual Madrid rallied to a 3-2 win at Sevilla and moved nearer to successful the Spanish league identify for the second one time in 3 seasons.
Madrid conceded two targets 4 mins aside within the first half of however got here again after halftime to win and open a 15-point lead on the best of the standings with six rounds to head.
“Everyone seems to be looking forward to Madrid to stumble however Madrid doesn’t stumble,” Madrid trainer Carlo Ancelotti stated. “Madrid has center, personality and high quality. It used to be a deserved win. The league isn’t over but, there are a number of fits left, but it surely used to be a large push for us lately.”
Madrid’s closest challenger is Barcelona, which has two video games in hand, together with towards relegation-threatened Cadiz on Monday.
Actual Madrid’s Karim Benzema celebrates with teammates after scoring his facet’s 3rd objective all the way through a Spanish L. a. Liga tournament between Sevilla and Actual Madrid on the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium, in Seville, Spain, Sunday, April 17, 2022. (AP Picture/Angel Fernandez)
3rd-place Sevilla will have reduce Madrid’s hole to 9 issues with a win at its Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium however as an alternative noticed its 15-game unbeaten streak at house this season come to an finish.
Benzema scored his fifteenth objective within the ultimate 10 fits with a shot from shut vary after a cross by way of Rodrygo two mins into stoppage time.
The France striker is the Spanish league’s main scorer with 25 targets and is having one among his highest seasons but with Madrid. He had already been decisive in contemporary Champions League fits towards Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, being a very powerful in Madrid’s run to the semifinals.
Sevilla seemed on its solution to a relaxed victory after opening the scoring with Ivan Rakitic’s low unfastened kick within the twenty first and including to the lead with Erik Lamela’s objective from within the space in a breakaway within the twenty fifth.
However Madrid ruled after that and pulled nearer with Rodrygo’s objective from shut vary after a cross by way of Dani Carvajal within the fiftieth. Carvajal then arrange Nacho Fernandez’s equalizer from within the space within the 82nd, a couple of moments after Nacho had entered the tournament.
Madrid ahead Vinicius Junior had a objective disallowed within the 74th for hand ball after a video evaluate that lasted a number of mins.
Sevilla has been hit laborious by way of accidents and has received best one among its ultimate six league video games. It stayed tied on issues with each Barcelona and fourth-place Atletico Madrid.
ATLETICO WINS AGAIN
Yannick Carrasco transformed a penalty kick 10 mins into stoppage time as Atletico beat Espanyol 2-1 to finish its three-match winless streak and toughen its grasp on fourth position.
Carrasco scored from the penalty spot within the ultimate play of the sport on the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium to offer Atletico a three-point cushion over fifth-place Actual Betis, which used to be held at sixth-place Actual Sociedad on Friday.
The penalty for Atletico used to be awarded following a long video evaluate to resolve whether or not the ball touched the hand of Espanyol striker Raul de Tomas within the space.
Carrasco had already scored to place Atletico forward within the 52nd, whilst De Tomas equalized for the guests within the 74th.
Atletico performed a person down from the 71st after midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia used to be despatched off for a handball that earned him a moment yellow card. Espanyol equalized within the resulting unfastened kick with De Tomas’ shot getting previous Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak.
Atletico hadn’t received in 3 fits. It additionally hadn’t scored objective all the way through that streak, together with within the 0-0 house draw towards Manchester Town on Wednesday in the second one leg of the Champions League quarterfinals, when it used to be eradicated 1-0 on mixture after dropping the primary leg in England.
Espanyol had received 3 of its ultimate 5 video games, with one loss and a draw. It sits in Eleventh position.
ATHLETIC STALLS
Athletic Bilbao misplaced 2-0 at house to Celta Vigo to lose flooring within the struggle for a spot in a Eu pageant subsequent season.
Iago Aspas and Fran Beltran scored first-half targets for Eleventh-place Celta, which used to be winless in 4 fits.
Athletic hadn’t misplaced in 3 fits. It stayed in 8th position, 4 issues at the back of Villarreal in 7th.
LEVANTE NOT LAST
Levante moved out of ultimate position with a 4-1 rout towards Granada, which performed with 10 males from the 54th after German Sanchez Barahona used to be despatched off with a moment yellow card.
It used to be the second one win within the ultimate 3 fits for Levante, which has received 14 issues from its ultimate 9 league fits, with 4 victories, two attracts and 3 losses. It subsequent hosts Sevilla.
Granada had its moment immediately loss and stayed in sixteenth position, one level outdoor the relegation zone. It subsequent visits Atletico.
