Sevilla and Real Madrid were title rivals when they last met in LaLiga back in November.
Then, as is the case now, Madrid led the table, but Sevilla were just two points back in third having played the same number of games. Optimism was growing for a genuine title fight.
But the team the capital from behind to win 2-1 through a late Vinicius Junior goal and have since opened a significant gap to Sevilla.
Including the three earned at the Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid have collected 10 more points than Sevilla in the intervening period.
Now, as the sides prepare to face off again at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, Carlo Ancelotti s men – fresh from reaching the Champions League semi-finals – look to be coasting towards a 35th championship.
Even victory for Sevilla would only close the deficit to nine points with six games to play – and such a result feels highly unlikely based on recent history.
One-sided recent rivalry
Perhaps discussion of a tussle at the top earlier in the season was premature given Madrid s dominance of this fixture in the past few seasons.
Defeat at the Bernabeu was Sevilla s fifth in six league matches against Madrid, with their other encounter in that run a draw.
Indeed, this is their worst winless run against Madrid since a sequence of 15 games between May 1993 and April 2003 – 13 of which were losses. That was Sevilla s longest such streak against Madrid in LaLiga history.
Away day success in Andalusia
This miserable stretch for Sevilla has included consecutive home defeats to Madrid, who are now bidding to win three in a row away from home in this fixture for the first time since a run of four ended in November 1996.
Those past two Madrid victories have been by 1-0 scorelines, meaning they could become only the third team in LaLiga history to win three in a row at Sevilla without conceding after Barcelona in March 1961 (three matches) and Celta Vigo in November 2003 (four).
Madrid have enjoyed recent trips to Andalusia as a whole, winning on their past seven visits. This is their best ever such run in LaLiga.
Los Blancos have scored in 31 of their past 32 league matches in the region (W24 D2 L6) for 78 goals in total at a rate of 2.44 goals per game.
Can ex-flop Lop stop the rot?
The match in November was Sevilla coach Julen Lopetegui s 100th in LaLiga, but it should have come as no surprise that it did not come to plan. His career rarely has when Lopetegui has become entwined with Madrid.
His Spain tenure was ended prematurely when he agreed to join Madrid as coach on the eve of the 2018 World Cup – a decision that panned out for nobody.
Lopetegui oversaw just six wins in 14 matches in all competitions before he was sacked after a 5-1 defeat to rivals Barcelona. His win rate of 42.9 per cent was the second-lowest among all Madrid coaches to oversee multiple games.
As evidenced by the result in November, things have scarcely improved for Lopetegui where Madrid are concerned since his dismissal.
He has overseen five of the six matches in Sevilla s winless run in this fixture, with the four defeats tied for his most against any team in LaLiga – along with Barca, of course.
On the other hand, opposite number Ancelotti has won six of his seven games against Sevilla as a coach, including two victories in finals, winning the UEFA Super Cup with Milan in 2007 and Madrid in 2014.
Benz at his best while Martial flounders
It was hoped the January signing of Anthony Martial would boost Sevilla s title hopes, yet his only goal in their colours so far came in the Europa League against Dinamo Zagreb.
There has been just a single assist in LaLiga, too, meaning Martial is still waiting for his 100th goal involvement in Europe s top five leagues two months on from his 99th – that tee-up for Rafa Mir against Elche.
This underwhelming form stands in stark contrast to that of compatriot Karim Benzema, who has 38 goals in 38 games in all competitions this season, with only Robert Lewandowski matching his 51 goal involvements among players in Europe s top five leagues.
Benzema has eight goals in 21 LaLiga games against Sevilla, although he has scored just once in 10 visits to the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan. Only at Camp Nou (one goal in 13 games) has he played as many games while scoring so few goals.
Of all the seasons to improve that return, though, this is surely the one.
