Rodrygo brace gives depleted Real Madrid 2-1 La Liga win over Sevilla

SEVILLE: Rodrygo scored twice to earn Real Madrid a 2-1 win at Sevilla on Saturday in a La Liga match that was missing Karim Benzema, Vinicius Junior and Marco Asensio due to injuries.

Vinícius, who faced racial abuse last weekend at Valencia, did not travel with the team due to what coach Carlo Ancelotti described as a knee injury that also kept him from playing midweek against Rayo Vallecano.

His absence from the field comes amid an international outcry against racism that has reached his native Brazil.

With the win, second-placed Real moved to 77 points on the La Liga table, four ahead of city rivals and third-placed Atletico, who faces Real Sociedad on Sunday.

Barcelona have already won the championship with two games still left to be played.

Rafa Mir gave Sevilla an early lead within three minutes finishing off an initial shot by Bryan Gil that had hit a Madrid defender and fell to the striker in the area.

Rodrygo levelled in the 29th with a free kick that he fired around the side of the defensive barrier and caught goalkeeper Yassine Bounou off guard.

Érik Lamela almost put Sevilla back in front when he hit the post in the 36th.

Rodrygo scored his second in the 69th after Brazil forward received a ball from Toni Kroos on a counterattack and used a slick change of foot to guide past defender Gonzalo Montiel before beating Bounou.

Sevilla’s Marcos Ocuña was sent off for a direct red card in the 84th after his studs-first tackle on Dani Ceballos.

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