Trophy-chasing Madrid snatch draw with Sevilla after VAR drama
Football
By
Reuters
| May 10, 2021
Real Madrid missed the chance to go top of La Liga after drawing 2-2 at home to Sevilla but earned a point when an own goal from Diego Carlos in added time added a final twist to a remarkable game containing two huge VAR decisions.
The result left Atletico Madrid top of the standings with three games to go on 77 points, two ahead of second-placed Real and third-placed Barcelona. Sevilla are fourth on 71.
Brazilian midfielder Fernando put Sevilla in front midway through the first half after a headed goal from Real striker Karim Benzema had been ruled out for a marginal offside.
Real improved in the second half and deservedly levelled through Marco Asensio in the 67th but the game swung back in Sevilla's favour in an extraordinary turn of events.
Real launched a quick counter and Benzema earned a penalty when he was felled by goalkeeper Bono, but a VAR review led to the referee penalising Real defender Eder Militao for an earlier handball and awarding a spot kick to Sevilla instead.
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Former Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic kept his nerve to deceive Thibaut Courtois from the spot and restore Sevilla's lead in the 77th minute.
However, Real somehow stayed alive in an enthralling title race when Toni Kroos tried his luck and saw his shot diverted into the net off the boot of Diego Carlos.
The own goal, in the third minute of added time, was the final twist in a huge weekend for the title race after Atletico had stayed top by earning a 0-0 draw at Barca on Saturday.
The stalemate at the Camp Nou offered title holders Real the chance to top the standings and leave their fate in their own hands although they went into the game in low spirits after their Champions League semi-final exit to Chelsea on Wednesday.
Real coach Zinedine Zidane shook his starting 11 up by dropping Eden Hazard after the Belgian's poor display in the 3-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge and was without captain Sergio Ramos, ruled out with injury in a season riddled with fitness setbacks.
His side were poor in the first half but looked to have gone ahead when Benzema leapt to turn in an excellent cross from right back Alvaro Odriozola, who had been left out against Chelsea in favour of Vinicius Jr in a makeshift wingback role.
The goal was chalked off though as Odriozola's foot was a couple of inches offside although the incident was overshadowed by the second VAR review in the second half of an entertaining contest with so much at stake at the top of the standings.