Rafael van der Vaart struck a last-gasp winner as magnificent
Real Madrid fought back from 2-0 down to beat Sevilla 3-2 and maintain
their 100% home record and replace Barcelona at the top of the Primera
Division table.
Substitute Van der Vaart stabbed the ball home in injury-time to
help Madrid complete a stunning late comeback and move above Barca,
who were held 2-2 at Almeria earlier in the evening.
The victory was no more than Madrid deserved following a scintillating
attacking display and they will go into Wednesday's Champions League
last-16 second leg against Lyon with confidence sky-high after making
it 13 league wins out of 13 at home this season. Madrid trail 1-0
against Lyon from the first leg.
It had looked as though two defensive mistakes would cost Madrid
dear, Xabi Alonso putting through his own goal early on and Ivica
Dragutinovic's 35-yard free-kick somehow sneaking in after the break
to put Sevilla 2-0 up.
However, Madrid hit back in style, netting twice in four minutes
just after the hour-mark through Cristiano Ronaldo and former Sevilla
player Sergio Ramos, before Van der Vaart sealed the match in incredible
fashion.
This fixture always promised goals, with an average of 4.3 per
game in the last 19 meetings between these two at the Bernabeu,
and it was another classic tonight.
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