PA Media/dpa
London
Kylian Mbappe and Federico Valverde each scored first-half screamers as Real Madrid concluded their trophy-laden 2024 by beating Sevilla 4-2 at the Bernabeu and moving up to second place in LaLiga.
Real quickly established a 2-0 lead via stunning strikes from Mbappe in the 10th minute and Valverde in the 20th, and the rampant start continued with Rodrygo adding a third in the 34th minute.
Sevilla replied via Isaac Romero a minute later, before Brahim Diaz netted the hosts’ fourth eight minutes into the second half.
Dodi Lukebakio subsequently pulled another goal back for the away side with five minutes of normal time remaining.
After Atletico Madrid won 2-1 at Barcelona on Saturday to replace the Catalan outfit at the top, this result saw Real leapfrog them as well, sitting a point off the summit at the end of a year in which the league title was among five trophies claimed by Carlo Ancelotti’s men.
That haul also included the Champions League, and the most recent piece of silverware came on Wednesday in the form of the Intercontinental Cup, via a 3-0 victory over Pachuca in Qatar.
The previous night Real star Vinicius Junior had been named men’s player of the year at the FIFA Best awards.
While they went into Sunday’s contest without the Brazil forward due to suspension, Real were still able to give an ample display of their potency as they surged into a three-goal lead.
Mbappe opened the scoring as he collected the ball from Rodrygo outside the box and sent a superb effort flying past Alvaro Fernandez.
And after the Frenchman miscued from a good position, skewing over the bar, Valverde doubled the advantage with a show-stopper from even further out, unleashing a 30-yard effort into the top corner.
Looking eager to get in on the act next as Real continued to dominate, Rodrygo hit a drive wide, then added the third by sweeping home from Vazquez’s pass.
Moments later Sevilla had a goal back, Romero heading in from Juanlu’s cross, but Real were soon back on the attack as Vazquez was denied by Fernandez.
The visitors had further attempts with Nemanja Gudelj bending a shot over in first-half stoppage-time and Romero seeing one parried by Thibaut Courtois early in the second.
Real’s fourth then arrived when Diaz blasted in following good work in the build-up from Vazquez and Mbappe, who provided the assist.
After Romero hit a shot wide, there was applause all around the stadium as 39-year-old Sevilla skipper Jesus Navas came off the bench for his 705th appearance for the club and final one before retirement.