REAL HELD BY SEVILLA IN BLOW TO TITLE HOPES
Hazard’s late goal helps Madrid avoid defeat after VAR penalty decision as the championship race swings back in favour of leaders Atletico
Eden Hazard’s 94th-minute equaliser salvaged Real Madrid a dramatic 2-2 draw against Sevilla as an extraordinary penalty decision swung La Liga’s title race back in Atletico Madrid’s favour.
Zinedine Zidane’s side had levelled through Marco Asensio midway through the second half and thought they had a penalty when Karim Benzema was brought down after rounding Sevilla goalkeeper Yassine Bono.
But VAR prompted referee Juan Martinez Munuera to check an Eder Militao handball a few seconds before, with a huge decision seeing Madrid’s penalty cancelled and a spot-kick awarded to Sevilla instead.
Ivan Rakitic converted and while Madrid still managed to hit back in injury time, Toni Kroos’ shot deflecting in off Eden Hazard’s foot, the draw hands the advantage back to Atletico at the end of another dramatic weekend in the Spanish title race.
“They have to explain the exact rules of the hands to me,” said Zidane. “But now we have to think about the next game. It is not up to us now, but we will fight to the end, to the death.”
After Barcelona and Atletico played out a goalless draw on Saturday at Camp Nou, the second instalment of La Liga’s blockbuster weekend also finished honours even, meaning the situation at the top is unchanged with three games remaining.
Atletico are two points clear of Real Madrid and Barcelona, with the title very much back in their hands. A Sevilla victory might have given them an outside chance but instead they remain six points back.
“We’re disappointed but we are not going to give up,” said Sevilla coach Julen Lopetegui. “We are going to try to keep this dream going a little longer.”
With a superior head-to-head record over Barcelona, Real Madrid scraping a draw could also yet prove decisive, given they only have to overtake one team now instead of two.
“It’s a shame but we’re alive,” said Luka Modric. “We have seen that everyone is dropping points so you have to have faith.”
Hazard had to come off the Real bench after his controversial reaction to the Champions League defeat by Chelsea and while the equaliser was eventually credited to him, there was hardly a sense of redemption given how little the Belgian knew about it.
Madrid looked jaded, the usually reliable Modric guilty of sloppy passes while Kroos and Casemiro struggled to affect the game.
Sevilla took the lead in the 22nd minute and it was brilliantly worked, a short free-kick down the right improving the angle before Rakitic’s cool header down gave Fernando Reges the chance. He dummied past the diving Casemiro before slotting in.
We have to think about the next game. It is not up to us, but we will fight to the end ZINEDINE ZIDANE, REAL MADRID COACH