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
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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
Race to Dubai leader Schaper chases third consecutive victory at Dubai Invitational
- Schaper joins a field that includes defending champion Tommy Fleetwood and 5-time Major champion Rory McIlroy
DUBAI: Race to Dubai leader Jayden Schaper will look to maintain his sensational early-season form when he competes at the Dubai Invitational from Jan. 15 to 18.
The 24-year-old South African is riding high after a spectacular Opening Swing that yielded back-to-back victories and propelled him to the summit of the 2026 rankings.
Schaper’s breakthrough came at the Alfred Dunhill Championship on home soil, where he captured his maiden DP World Tour title in a thrilling play-off victory over defending champion Shaun Norris.
A chip-in birdie at the 16th and an eagle at the first extra hole sealed a memorable win that ended years of knocking on the door.
Just one week later, he demonstrated remarkable composure to defend his play-off crown at the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, holing out for eagle on the second extra hole to defeat American Ryan Gerard.
“Obviously I had such a good finish to the year in 2025 — having a win back home with the family watching and then going down to Mauritius and having just another incredible week,” said Schaper.
“I’m just looking forward to the start of this run now, as the Desert Swing is always one of my favorites of the year. The weather is good and the golf courses are always perfect — it’s such an awesome place to be.”
Across three appearances during the Opening Swing, Schaper won twice and finished runner-up at the Nedbank Golf Challenge in honor of Gary Player, amassing 1,348 points to dominate the season’s opening phase.
His Opening Swing triumph secured him entry into the Hero Dubai Desert Classic — the first of five Rolex Series events — and all of the DP World Tour’s Back 9 events, along with a $200,000 bonus.
The rapid ascent comes on the back of a consistent 2025 campaign where he collected nine top-10 finishes from 27 starts, establishing himself as one of the Tour’s most promising talents.
“It’s a massive boost (the back-end of 2025),” said Schaper.
“I think it’s more the belief. I’ve been out on Tour for a few years now, and to get your first win is a massive bonus. But to wait five years for your first win and then get your second the week after is such a special feeling.
“Obviously both wins came in a play-off. You always want to be in the play-off, but it’s a tougher way to win. So, it’s just a huge confidence boost to know that you belong out here.
For Schaper, the Dubai Invitational represents an opportunity to make it three wins and build momentum ahead of a season featuring a minimum of 42 tournaments in 25 countries.
“It’s my first time out there today and the course is really nice,” said Schaper.
“It’s got that desert feel, you’re kind of on the water and on the dunes — it’s really nice, I do enjoy it.
“Obviously when you come out here, you want to win every week, so that’s what we’ll try and do out here. It will be a nice boost to the season, so that’s the goal.”
The Dubai Invitational is the opening event on the Race to Dubai's International Swing and is played concurrently with a three-day Pro-Am team event, with Sunday featuring professionals only.
The bi-annual event consists of 60 professional DP World Tour golfers and 60 amateur golfers.
Schaper joins a field that includes defending champion Tommy Fleetwood, five-time Major champion Rory McIlroy, and Open champions Shane Lowry, Padraig Harrington and Francesco Molinari.
Also playing are multiple DP World Tour winners, including Ryan Fox and Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen.
