MADRID: Karim Benzema came up big yet again.
He scored in second-half stoppage time on Sunday as Real Madrid rallied to a 3-2 win at Sevilla and moved closer to winning the Spanish league title for the second time in three seasons.
Madrid conceded two goals four minutes apart in the first half but came back after halftime to win and open a 15-point lead at the top of the standings with six rounds to go.
Madrid’s closest challenger is Barcelona, which has two games in hand, including against relegation-threatened Cádiz on Monday.
Third-place Sevilla could have cut Madrid’s gap to nine points with a win at its Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán Stadium but instead saw its 15-game unbeaten streak at home this season come to an end.
Benzema scored his 15th goal in the last 10 matches with a shot from close range after a pass by Rodrygo two minutes into stoppage time.
The France striker is the Spanish league’s leading scorer with 25 goals and is having one of his best seasons yet with Madrid. He had already been decisive in recent Champions League matches against Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, being crucial in Madrid’s run to the semifinals.
Sevilla looked on its way to a comfortable victory after opening the scoring with Ivan Rakitic’s low free kick in the 21st and adding to the lead with Erik Lamela’s goal from inside the area in a breakaway in the 25th.
But Madrid dominated after that and pulled closer with Rodrygo’s goal from close range after a pass by Dani Carvajal in the 50th. Carvajal then set up Nacho Fernández’s equalizer from inside the area in the 82nd, a few moments after Nacho had entered the match.
Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior had a goal disallowed in the 74th for hand ball after a video review that lasted several minutes.
Sevilla has been hit hard by injuries and has won only one of its last six league games. It stayed tied on points with both Barcelona and fourth-place Atlético Madrid.
ATLÉTICO WINS AGAIN
Yannick Carrasco converted a penalty kick 10 minutes into stoppage time as Atlético beat Espanyol 2-1 to end its three-match winless streak and strengthen its hold on fourth place.
Carrasco scored from the penalty spot in the final play of the game at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium to give Atlético a three-point cushion over fifth-place Real Betis, which was held at sixth-place Real Sociedad on Friday.
The penalty for Atlético was awarded following a lengthy video review to determine whether the ball touched the hand of Espanyol striker Raúl de Tomás inside the area.
Carrasco had already scored to put Atlético ahead in the 52nd, while De Tomás equalized for the visitors in the 74th.
Atlético played a man down from the 71st after midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia was sent off for a handball that earned him a second yellow card. Espanyol equalized in the ensuing free kick with De Tomás’ shot getting past Atlético goalkeeper Jan Oblak.
Atlético hadn’t won in three matches. It also hadn’t scored goal during that streak, including in the 0-0 home draw against Manchester City on Wednesday in the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinals, when it was eliminated 1-0 on aggregate after losing the first leg in England.
Espanyol had won three of its last five games, with one loss and a draw. It sits in 11th place.
ATHLETIC STALLS
Athletic Bilbao lost 2-0 at home to Celta Vigo to lose ground in the fight for a place in a European competition next season.
Iago Aspas and Fran Beltrán scored first-half goals for 11th-place Celta, which was winless in four matches.
Athletic hadn’t lost in three matches. It stayed in eighth place, four points behind Villarreal in seventh.
LEVANTE NOT LAST
Levante moved out of last place with a 4-1 rout against Granada, which played with 10 men from the 54th after Germán Sánchez Barahona was sent off with a second yellow card.
It was the second win in the last three matches for Levante, which has won 14 points from its last nine league matches, with four victories, two draws and three losses. It next hosts Sevilla.
Granada had its second straight loss and stayed in 16th place, one point outside the relegation zone. It next visits Atlético.
Benzema rallies Madrid past Sevilla, closer to league title
https://arab.news/255m3
Benzema rallies Madrid past Sevilla, closer to league title
- Madrid conceded two goals four minutes apart in the first half but came back after halftime to win and open a 15-point lead at the top of the standings with six rounds to go
AFC U-23 Asian Cup provides stepping stone for Lebanon ahead of Saudi 2027
- Cedars praise the Kingdom’s facilities and tournament organization as they look forward to continent’s flagship competition next year
RIYADH: Lebanon’s journey in the 2026 AFC U-23 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia may have ended early, but after being drawn in a group alongside two former champions, progression on their tournament debut would always be a challenge.
And despite elimination, head coach Jamal Taha and his players believe the experience points towards a promising future for Lebanese football.
With Lebanon set to feature at the AFC Asian Cup Saudi 2027 in under 12 months, the U-23 tournament served as an important platform for the next generation to stake their claim ahead of the senior tournament. They might not have advanced to the knockout stage, but the Cedars put in a string of impressive performances that suggests they can compete at continental level.
Lebanon opened their campaign with a narrow 3-2 defeat to Uzbekistan, one of the competition’s most successful nations, before a late 4-2 defeat to South Korea that saw them lead for substantial portions of the game. They concluded their participation with a 1-0 victory over Iran.
Midfielder Danny Istanbouli, who plays college football with Sacred Heart Pioneers in the US, reflected positively on the experience.
“Being put in one of the toughest groups is not ideal, but I think we showed great perseverance as a team,” he told Arab News.
“The U-23 Asian Cup has been one of the highest levels I have ever played. You face players who are playing for top professional clubs in their country, which is certainly a great experience. You can see the level is super high with them.”
That sentiment was echoed by Jad Smaira, who currently plays for Cypriot side Achyronas-Onisilos.
“Many players from the under-23 team have shown that they have the capabilities to make the step up to the senior national team,” said Smaira. “It’s also a chance for us to promote Lebanese football as we aim to become a strong footballing nation in Asia.”
Looking ahead, head coach Jamal Taha stressed the importance of this tournament as the final stage for many at youth level.
“Despite the results, this participation is good for the national team, because it will be the last time these players perform at an under-23 level,” he said. “Now, it’s a chance for them to learn and look forward to participating with the senior national team.”
When asked what Lebanese football needed to progress further, Taha believes there is a lot to learn from the tournament hosts.
“Ultimately, football is a structure. You need to start from the grassroots, ground zero. We have a lot to learn from the experiences of countries like Saudi Arabia, so we can see our nation in a much better position over the next ten years,” he said.
Seven out of 23 players in the Lebanese U-23 national team are currently based overseas, with the remainder representing clubs in the Lebanese First Division. For the majority, the tournament in Saudi Arabia was a new experience.
“I think the environment here was excellent,” Istanbouli said. “It will be incredible for the senior team to play here next year, and I can only imagine how great it would be when the stadiums are packed with thousands of fans cheering for Lebanon.”
Smaira also praised both on-field and off-field aspects of the tournament: “The facilities were a 10 out of 10. The hotel was amazing, but also the people that helped us here were great. We’re very grateful for the amazing hospitality.”
Saudi Arabia’s growing role in continental and global football, combined with the rising standard of the Asian game, has seen many players of Middle Eastern origin return from Europe and the Americas to ply their trade back home.
“Asia has become very interesting, even for players in Europe,” Smaira said. “There are a lot of big clubs in Asia, with a lot of financial capability, and I know many players in Europe who would love to come play in Asia.”
While the quality on the pitch has seen a clear shift for the better, Taha believes Saudi Arabia’s long-term advantage lies in the way in its football ecosystem is managed.
“Here, you feel that there’s people who have experience — they know what they’re doing. We feel it in the stadiums. We feel it when we arrive, we feel it when we’re at the hotel. I think we’re going to see something better than that in 2027,” he told Arab News.
With the AFC U-23 Asian Cup concluding on Jan. 24, the countdown to Saudi 2027 has already begun. Lebanon will take part in the AFC Asian Cup for the fourth time, having already featured as hosts in 2000, before qualifying for the 2019 and 2023 editions.
A sizeable Lebanese community resides in the Kingdom, and Smaira is eager to play in front of them once again.
“I want to thank them for the support they showed us during this tournament,” he said. “We felt it, we read the messages, and it meant a lot. Hopefully, we can give them back something special in 2027.”
