Match Overview
Real Madrid secured a dominant 4-1 victory over Sevilla at the Santiago Bernabéu on Sunday, October 18. Kylian Mbappé was instrumental, netting twice, while Yan Diomande also found the back of the net for Los Blancos, scoring their fourth goal.
Set-Piece Analysis
Despite the comprehensive scoreline, an analysis of the match highlighted a minimal impact from set pieces for both teams. Kylian Mbappé’s penalty was the only goal directly linked to a dead-ball situation, with neither side scoring from open play deliveries. This suggests that the majority of Real Madrid’s four goals, and Sevilla’s single strike, originated from open play.
Sevilla registered a non-penalty expected goals (npxG) figure of just 0.07 from six attacking restarts, which included three free kicks, two corners, and a throw-in delivered into the box. Two of these restarts led to shots. Their most significant set-piece opportunity came in the 73rd minute when Manu Bueno met Gabriel Suazo’s free kick, but his shot went wide, valued at 0.06 npxG.
Real Madrid’s output from set pieces was even lower, recording 0.03 npxG from seven restarts, comprising six free kicks and one corner. Only one of Madrid’s restarts produced an attempt: Endrick’s effort after Arda Güler’s corner shortly after half-time. Madrid successfully dealt with three of Sevilla’s deliveries by winning first contact, with Thibaut Courtois claiming two more. Conversely, Sevilla won first contact on two of Madrid’s seven deliveries.
These figures underscore that while the overall npxG for Real Madrid was 1.22 and Sevilla’s was 1.17, set-piece opportunities contributed only a small fraction to the total chances created by either side.
La Liga Context and Upcoming Fixture
The victory keeps Real Madrid in contention at the top of La Liga, though they remain six points behind league leaders Barcelona. Barcelona had earlier secured a win against Real Betis, maintaining their advantage.
This result sets the stage for a highly anticipated El Clásico next weekend. Real Madrid are scheduled to face Barcelona at Camp Nou on Sunday, October 25, a fixture that now carries added significance as Los Blancos aim to close the gap on their rivals.