Vinícius saves Real Madrid as Sevilla survives dramatic relegation scare

Real Madrid finally won a game it no longer needed, while Sevilla lost one that ultimately didn’t hurt. Thanks to results elsewhere, Sevilla enters the final weekend of the season safe from relegation in the LaLiga table.

It is hardly a triumph, but given the club’s economic and emotional weight, survival may feel almost as valuable as a Europa League title, even if nobody will celebrate it in the streets.

The match itself had little substance. Kylian Mbappé looked far less dangerous than he did speaking to reporters Sunday, when his comments added fuel to the growing tension surrounding Álvaro Arbeloa. Quiet and wasteful throughout, the Frenchman contributed little beyond the assist, one that almost looked accidental, for Vinícius’ winning goal.

Madrid’s “fourth striker,” as Mbappé sarcastically described himself days earlier, was suddenly back leading the line after four days of public sparring, political maneuvering and presidential appearances. All consequences of a disastrous season for Madridistas, one that still has one final chapter left.

Mbappé against Sevilla

Mbappé played because Arbeloa publicly confirmed he would after the media storm, an apparent attempt to contain the fire if that was still possible. He lined up alongside Vinícius, though the two have often seemed to exist on opposite ends of the galaxy. They have rarely looked comfortable together. The soccer universe has not felt big enough for both stars at once.

That, many believe, is why José Mourinho’s name continues to hover over Madrid: to somehow make this collection of elite talent function as a coherent team.

Arbeloa changed half the lineup. Dani Carvajal returned for emotional and sporting reasons alike, while Dean Huijsen, Fran García, Thiago Pitarch and Mbappé also started. Most of the incoming players looked more convincing than the outgoing ones, yet once again only one summer signing made the XI, another reminder that many of Madrid’s recent transfer moves have backfired.

Sevilla, meanwhile, arrived rejuvenated under Luis García Plaza after three straight wins that helped stabilize the club before its ownership transition. The Ramos project, at least, will begin in La Liga rather than among the wreckage of relegation.

From the opening whistle Sevilla played like a team fighting for survival. Madrid, by contrast, has looked mentally checked out for weeks, with one eye already on August and many players already thinking about the World Cup.

Sevilla produced three shots in the opening five minutes, two from Oso, whose energy immediately troubled Carvajal. None found the net, and that failure allowed Madrid to settle into one of those dark, uneventful games it has so often escaped through sheer attacking quality.

Vinícius’ goal came almost out of nowhere and exposed Sevilla’s fragile defense. Brahim Díaz floated a ball to the edge of the box, Mbappé cushioned it with his chest, though Sevilla protested he used his arm to push aside Carmona in the process, and Vinícius swept his finish inside the post.

The Sánchez-Pizjuán whistled him relentlessly, as happens in almost every away stadium he visits. It no longer seems to affect him.

Vinicius’ goal changed everything

Vinícius’ strike altered the entire mood of the game.

Sevilla lost its momentum, its confidence and eventually possession. Madrid did not dominate exactly, because its talent still feels strangely disconnected, but it controlled the pace for long stretches afterward.

The attacking threat, however, remained minimal.

Mbappé was largely anonymous. Before halftime he managed one off-target shot, little more than proof he was still on the field. The sense remains that he has dialed down his explosiveness to avoid any injury that could jeopardize his World Cup participation.

By then Sevilla was trying to recover through Oso, though without the same sharpness or intensity from the opening minutes. The limitations in the squad are as obvious as the desperation to survive.

Thiago Pitarch, however, did not hold back. The academy product covered enormous ground and his commitment stood out even more when compared with the lethargy around him.

Around the hour mark, Luis García Plaza realized Sevilla’s passive rhythm was leading nowhere and made a triple substitution. Alexis Sánchez nearly equalized moments after entering during Sevilla’s brief surge of intensity.

Madrid, though, remained trapped in the same dull rhythm that defined the entire night.

Mastantuono hits the post

Sevilla’s push forward inevitably left space behind for Madrid’s quick attackers, although neither Vinícius nor Mbappé looked close to their best.

Defenders who once seemed helpless against Vinícius now appear far more comfortable dealing with him. Mbappé, meanwhile, has regressed toward the uncertain version of himself seen early in his Madrid career, before he rediscovered his scoring instincts.

Kike Salas denied him one clear chance, while Acor Adams wasted another at the opposite end after hesitating too long against Huijsen.

Arbeloa responded by introducing Franco Mastantuono and Eduardo Camavinga, moving Jude Bellingham deeper. Mastantuono immediately smashed a left-footed shot against the post, his brightest moment in months.

Then came another worrying scene for Madrid. Vinícius left the field with an apparent adductor issue, enough of a warning sign to end his night immediately.

Sevilla could not capitalize. Survival is secured, but Sergio Ramos still faces a massive rebuilding job. Much like Mourinho potentially does at Madrid.

Because whoever takes over next season may need to be more than just a coach. They may need to be a disciplinarian, mediator and psychologist for a locker room that appears to have stopped understanding itself both on and off the field.

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