Real Madrid routed Granada 5-0 last weekend to maintain their impressive lead at the top of the table and equal the all-time unbeaten record in La Liga. They can break the record on Sunday, but they to do so they face the toughest away trip in Spanish football. Sevilla are in the top three and just four points behind Real Madrid, having played some wonderful football this season, but it is their sensational home form that will give them confidence going into this game.
Sevilla have the best home record in Spain this season, having won seven and lost one of their eight games at their Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán stadium. This has been a trend in recent years: Sevilla have been imperious at home but poor on the road, leaving them in the top five but not really contending for the title. This season they have actually sorted out their away form, and they recorded a hugely impressive win in their last game. They travelled to fourth placed Real Sociedad, who had not lost at home since the opening day of the season, and beat them 4-0. It was a demolition job as they took Sociedad apart time and time again. They now have the third best away record in La Liga to go along with the best home record, and look like they could finally hang in there in a title race with Real Madrid and Barcelona until the end of the season. At any rate, Atletico Madrid certainly have their work cut out if they want to break into the top three again.
But this could prove to be a case of the immovable object meets the unstoppable force. Real Madrid are the only unbeaten team in any top European league this season. Considering we are now into January, that is a remarkable feat. Zinedine Zidane’s men have played 16 league games, won 12, drawn four and lost zero. In recent clashes with Granada they had only won by a single goal, so everyone was expecting a narrow win for Los Blancos last time out, but they had another plans and annihilated Granada. It finished 5-0 and it could have been a much heavier margin of victory.
When you take their form from the second half of last season into account, they are now 39 games unbeaten in the league. That has led them to equal Barcelona’s all-time record in the Spanish top flight, making this a crucial game and one they will be desperate not to lose.
Under Zidane, Real Madrid play with such belief and they have been exhibiting phenomenal mental strength for a long time now, so it is difficult to see them losing this. The teams have met twice this season, but not in the league yet. Real won both, winning 3-2 in the Super Cup at the start of the season and beating Sevilla 3-0 in the Copa del Ray just a few days ago. The last time they played Sevilla in the league, they won 4-0 at the Bernebeu, 10 months ago. Sevilla are a different animal in front of their home fans, and they beat Real Madrid at home too last season, but that 3-2 win came when Rafa Benitez was manager.
And Sevilla are not unbeatable at home, as they showed in losing 2-1 to Barcelona in November. The 3-0 win will have given Real Madrid confidence, but they are likely to play with a bit of caution in this league match as they will be so desperate to make that record their own. Revising through our green listed bookmakers, the draw looks a very attractive bet at 4.00 with William Hill, but if anyone is to sneak a win here it looks to be Real Madrid, so you could split your stake on the draw and on Real, who are 2.00 with Bet Victor.
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