09 November 2015
Sevilla 3-2 Real Madrid
Sevilla came from behind to inflict a first defeat of the season on Real Madrid at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on Sunday evening.
The visitors took the lead through former Rojiblancos player Sergio Ramos’ impressive overhead-kick after the game’s opening quarter, but ten minutes before half-time, Ciro Immobile scored his first ever La Liga goal to draw his side back on level terms.
Unai Emery’s men had the bit between their teeth at the start of the second period and they got their noses in front just past the hour-mark, when Ever Banega finished off a stunning passing move involving Immobile and Yevhen Konoplyanka.
Rafael Benitez’s first few months at Madrid have seen the experienced coach set up a well-organised defence that had conceded on just three occasions up until Sunday, but they leaked just as many goals in a single match against Sevilla, when, on 74 minutes, Fernando Llorente headed home unmarked from inside the box to double his side’s lead.
James Rodriguez pulled one back for Los Merengues in injury time, but it would not be enough to avoid a defeat that sees Benitez and company head into the Clasico at the Bernabeu in a fortnight’s time three points behind table-topping rivals Barcelona.
Sevilla, meanwhile, move into the top half of the table for the first time this term, sitting on 15 points after 11 fixtures.
Aston Villa 0-0 Manchester City
Manchester City, meanwhile, were denied a ninth league win of the season by a dogged and disciplined showing from Aston Villa in ex-Lyon boss Remi Garde’s first game in charge on Sunday afternoon.
Showing a defensive solidity lacking in previous weeks, Garde’s men also showed much greater composure on the ball and in the end were well worth the point in spite of Raheem Sterling missing the best chance of the match, as the England forward headed straight at Brad Guzan from point-blank range.
Where the hosts were tenacious and rigid, City were wasteful in front of goal and, missing the influence of injured strikers Sergio Aguero and Wilfried Bony (the latter withdrawn after 25 minutes at Villa Park), they were left ruing the chances spurned by Sterling and Kevin De Bruyne, not to mention Fernando’s header against the crossbar late on.
Manuel Pellegrini’s charges, however, remain top of the table going into the November international break above Arsenal on goal difference.
Borussia M'gladbach 0-0 Ingolstadt
Caretaker manager Andre Schubert’s magnificent six-game winning run came to an end at Borussia-Park on Saturday afternoon as his Gladbach side were held to a 0-0 draw by newly-promoted Ingolstadt.
With the league’s second best defensive record to protect, the unfancied visitors frustrated their in-form hosts in a game of few clear-cut scoring opportunities.
Of the chances that were created, the best undoubtedly fell to the home team in second-half stoppage time. Moments after the dismissal of captain Granit Xhaka for a second bookable offence, Foals midfielder Thorgan Hazard broke from deep to force goalkeeper Razaman Ozcan into a superb diving save to seal a hard-earned point for the newly-promoted outfit.
Saturday’s stalemate sees Gladbach slip a place into sixth, two points shy of an automatic Champions League qualifying spot.
