MY ACCOUNT
Carlo Ancelotti acknowledged Real Madrid are “close” to sealing the league title after a dramatic comeback win over Sevilla on Sunday.
Sevilla looked to be breathing life back into LaLiga’s race for first place when they found themselves 2-0 up thanks to goals from Ivan Rakitic and Erik Lamela.
However, referee Guillermo Cuadra Fernandez’s decision not to issue a second yellow card and send off Eduardo Camavinga for a heavy challenge late in the first half would have significant ramifications.
Camavinga was withdrawn for Rodrygo at half-time and the Brazilian quickly made an impact, pulling one back with a smart finish early in the second half.
Nacho Fernandez levelled for a dominant Madrid eight minutes from time and then Karim Benzema sealed the win that surely puts them out of reach in stoppage time.
Even if Barca win their two games in hand, Madrid will be nine points clear and their run-in looks relatively kind, with only Atletico Madrid and Real Betis likely to cause them significant bother.
As such, head coach Ancelotti recognised Madrid are almost at the finish line.
He told LaLiga TV: “No, it’s not over, but it’s really close.
“Everyone is waiting for the defeat of Real Madrid, but we are still on fire.”
Despite the drama of the contest, Ancelotti cut a composed figure at full-time – though he stressed that was more down to mental fatigue than being relaxed.
“It looks normal because I’m so tired! I suffered a lot,” he said with a smile. “I need time to recover.”
Madrid have made a habit of comebacks in recent months, particularly in the Champions League against Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea.
Sunday was the latest impressive example and, elaborating on what is leading to these turnarounds, Ancelotti added: “The history of this club, the quality of the players and their sense of belonging, they feel something special when wearing the shirt. It’s nothing new for Real Madrid and I think this is the reason.”
One moment of second-half controversy looked set to cost Madrid when Vinicius Junior controversially had an equaliser disallowed for handball as the ball struck the top of his arm.
While it ultimately mattered little in the grand scheme, Ancelotti was keen to reveal his bemusement at the decision.
“We thought the same,” he replied when it was put to him that the decision was harsh.
“As a supporter, I didn’t understand why the goal of Vinicius was disallowed, it was not handball.
“I know it’s really difficult to judge this kind of situation, but I think it was quite clearly a goal.”
