Real Madrid secured a 2-0 victory over Sevilla at the Santiago Bernabeu, moving within one point of LaLiga leaders Barcelona. Jude Bellingham opened the scoring with a header, and Kylian Mbappe sealed the win with a late penalty, tying Cristiano Ronaldo's record for most goals in a calendar year for the club.
Real Madrid hosted Sevilla in LaLiga on December 20, 2025, aiming to end a run of two consecutive home defeats to Celta Vigo and Manchester City. The team, under coach Xabi Alonso, had recently won away matches against Alaves (2-1) and Talavera (3-2 in the Copa del Rey), but faced pressure to perform at home.
The line-up featured Thibaut Courtois in goal, with Raul Asencio at right-back due to Fede Valverde's illness. Antonio Rudiger returned from rest, Fran Garcia was back from suspension, and Jude Bellingham and Aurelien Tchouameni started in midfield. Up front, Rodrygo, Mbappe, and Vinicius Jr. led the attack.
Early chances came for both sides: Fran Garcia was denied by Sevilla goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos, while Isaac Romero missed wide for Sevilla. Mbappe fired narrowly past the post. In the 38th minute, Bellingham rose to head in Rodrygo's free-kick, giving Madrid a 1-0 halftime lead—his fourth LaLiga goal of the season.
The second half saw Mbappe waste two opportunities to extend the lead, and Courtois made key saves against Romero and Alexis Sanchez. Sevilla's task grew harder when Marcao was sent off for a second yellow after fouling Bellingham. Vlachodimos later tipped over Rodrygo's volley.
Juan Sanchez tripped Rodrygo in the box, allowing Mbappe to convert the penalty and score his 59th goal for Madrid in 2025, equaling Ronaldo's record. A late VAR review overturned a potential second penalty for Bellingham. Despite an unconvincing display, the win pressures Barcelona ahead of their match against Villarreal.
Sevilla, who had beaten Oviedo recently but exited the Copa del Rey, haven't defeated Madrid since 2018 and remain winless in 13 meetings.
