Sergio Ramos scored an own goal and Stevan Jovetic netted a last-gasp winner as Sevilla dramatically ended Real Madrid’s 40-game unbeaten run.
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Having rested players in the Copa del Rey, both Sevilla and Madrid were as strong as they could possibly be, although Los Blancos experimented with three centre-backs.
Chances came at a premium in the first half as Dani Carvajal got in behind down the right but saw none of his teammates connect his chipped cross for a certain goal.
Steven N’Zonzi, who made 12 more passes than any Madrid player before the break, met a corner in the penalty area, but despite having a clear height advantage from a yard out, he couldn’t keep his header down.
Cristiano Ronaldo, on his first appearance since being named FIFA’s best player of 2016, had an angled drive saved by Sergio Rico from just inside the box.
Karim Benzema then cut into the Sevilla area from the left and drilled a low cross for Ronaldo to stab home, but the Portuguese’s connection wasn’t clean and he sent the ball a yard wide of a grateful Rico.
Franco Vazquez, meanwhile, curled just over from 20 yards out, before Samir Nasri’s shot after a one-two was seen all the way by Keylor Navas.
The second half started with Vazquez volleying a shot in the box that needed to be tipped over by Navas at his near post.
The former Palermo star proceeded to pick out an unmarked Ben Yedder to his right, but the striker’s drilled shot was pushed wide by the Costa Rican.
Madrid took confidence from Sevilla’s misses as Luka Modric appeared to be tripped just inside the Andalusians’ box. Referee Alejandro Hernandez Hernandez, however, was having none of it.
Still, Rico was soon forced into a double save to deny the Portuguese from close range.
Nicolas Pareja had a clearance blocked by a Madrid shirt, with the ball falling straight to an onside Ronaldo, who only had to bypass Adil Rami but was second-guessed by the Frenchman. Benzema then blazed over from a couple of yards out.
The game suddenly burst into life when Rico clearly took out Carvajal, the right decision as replays subsequently showed.
The Sevilla fans and players, however, didn’t agree with the decision. Vitolo made his disdain clear by deliberately sabotaging the penalty spot, which Ronaldo reacted to as he threw the ball at the winger.
Nonetheless, the No 7 sent the goalkeeper the wrong way and Madrid seemed to be on their way to a 41st game unbeaten, until Ramos headed a free kick into his own net.
It was a case of the right time, wrong place for the defender, who had become renowned for his late headed winners and was the centre of attention for his controversial performance against Los Nervionenses midweek.
Sevilla opted to push for the winner as opposed to shut up shop, and Navas made a fine stop to his left to push a shot away. However, he could do nothing about Jovetic’s unstoppable, curling drive in the second minute of injury time.
Sevilla 2-1 Real Madrid
Ramos og 85, Jovetic 90 (S) Ronaldo pen 67
Sevilla: Rico; Mariano, Pareja, Rami, Escudero; Vitolo, N'Zonzi, Iborra (Sarabia 77), Vazquez (Jovetic 68); Nasri; Ben Yedder (Vietto 90)
Real Madrid: Navas; Varane, Ramos, Nacho; Carvajal, Casemiro, Kroos (Kovacic 75), Marcelo; Modric; Benzema, Ronaldo
Referee: Hernandez Hernandez
