White party before Christmas in the Spanish league

Real Madrid bid farewell to 2024 with a convincing victory against Sevilla on the day Jesús Navas hung up his boots (although he only played the final half hour) and with Vinícius already on vacation. The win, in one of the best matches of the season, sees the Whites heading into the Christmas break two points ahead of Barcelona (with one more match played) and sitting second in the table, one point behind Atlético.

Real Madrid played well, very well at times and at other times focused on controlling the game. The fatigue from the trip to Doha was not too noticeable, and Ancelotti debuted a change in the defense that he had already tested in previous seasons. Despite having Ferland Mendy back, he gave the position to Camavinga, which freed up a spot in the midfield for Ceballos, Bellingham's sidekick, who is versatile although this time he played more as an organizer than a scorer and ended up not scoring.

Sevilla, under García Pimienta, tried to play high pressure against Madrid, but the match quickly took a turn for the worse. Ancelotti's team demolished them in half an hour with a stroke of luck they don't often rely on: long-range shots, something Valverde excels at. The goals rained down on Sevilla like a sledgehammer, every ten minutes.

Mbappé once again approached the player who dazzled at PSG. Ancelotti said the day before that his adaptation period is over. It might be excessive to say so much, but it is true that the Frenchman appears looser, with much more spark.

A novelty was seeing Rodrygo constantly on the left, taking advantage of Vinícius' absence, and his mobility proved unstoppable for Sevilla many times. The first goal came precisely from a pass from Rodrygo to Mbappé, who didn't hesitate and beat Álvaro with a powerful shot. The Frenchman had a chance for a brace shortly after, but missed an easier opportunity in front of goal than the one he had scored just before. He still doesn't convert a high percentage of his chances, but his numbers are not bad. With yesterday's goal, he now has fourteen goals, ten in the league.

It's not easy to see Mbappé shoot from afar, but it is easy to see Valverde do so. The Uruguayan, who had already scored in Vallecas, unleashed a rocket of his own to score the second goal. Sevilla was struggling and in the midst of their disarray, they were unable to stop a combination between Brahim and Lucas Vázquez that ended with a perfect pass to Rodrygo, who scored the 3-0.

In the following play, it was Real Madrid who was caught off guard. As they were celebrating what seemed like the final blow, Sevilla quickly took the kick-off. Juanlu sprinted down the wing and crossed the ball into the box, where Isaac Ramos headed it in as Tchouaméni watched on, stunned, in the only defensive lapse by the Whites in the first half.

The goal angered Madrid, who came very close to scoring a fourth before halftime, especially in a one-on-one situation with Lucas Vázquez, who instead of passing, smashed the ball against the goalkeeper.

Real Madrid started the second half poorly, with a couple of mistakes in their defense that forced Courtois to act as a savior with a close-range save from Isaac's shot. The situation didn't escalate further because, in the 52nd minute, Real Madrid once again showcased their scoring prowess in a combination between Mbappé, first with Lucas Vázquez, and then with Brahim, who finished off the play for a 4-1 lead.

This time everything was already settled. Navas entered the field in the 63rd minute with the Bernabeu already in a festive mood, savoring the overtaking of Barcelona and preparing to enjoy the Christmas turrones in peace, when with the 0-4 from October 26th in the Clasico, the storm clouds couldn't have been more threatening.

Rodrygo and Mbappé missed easy goals, and Sevilla shortened the distance with a late shot from Lukabakio. Real Madrid will have a peaceful Christmas.