BARCELONA: Real Madrid shared a pulsating 1-1 draw with Sergio Ramos’ Sevilla on Saturday, ensuring they will face Barcelona in the Clasico next weekend as leaders. Antoine Griezmann struck a hat-trick in a 3-0 win over 10-man Celta Vigo to help Atletico Madrid climb provisionally second, in hot pursuit of their city rivals.

Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid dropped two points in the title race but extended their lead to four points over bitter rivals Barcelona, who are in fourth place and host Athletic Bilbao on Sunday. David Alaba’s own goal sent the hosts ahead but Madrid quickly pulled level through Dani Carvajal.

Madrid faced their former captain Sergio Ramos, back at Sevilla for the first time in 18 years, and the 37-year-old gave a typically all-action display to frustrate Los Blancos. Sevilla impressed, giving as good as they got in new coach Diego Alonso’s first match in charge, ahead of their Champions League clash with Arsenal on Tuesday.

Los Blancos players were left unhappy by decisions to rule out goals for Fede Valverde and Jude Bellingham, the latter after Sevilla’s Lucas Ocampos had gone down hurt with Madrid piling forward. “The referee did well, he had a good game, he stopped the counter-attack to look after the health of a player, I think he had a high-level game,” Ancelotti told a news conference, perhaps with a hint of sarcasm.

Later the coach explained that only by speaking in this way could he avoid a suspension for revealing his true feelings. “Irony is the only way (to speak) after this match because I think that if I say what I think about the refereeing I’ll receive a lot of games’ suspension,” Ancelotti told Real Madrid TV. “What I like most at the moment is to sit on the Real Madrid bench. So, to avoid suspensions I don’t say what I think and I use a bit of irony.”

Old friend

Madrid faced off against Ramos, 37, who rejoined his boyhood club Sevilla in September and put in a heroic defensive display at the raucous Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan stadium. Ramos produced a stunning block as Alaba tried to turn home from close range and later squared off with his Madrid successor, Antonio Rudiger, squeezing the German’s cheeks.

Sevilla goalkeeper Orjan Nyland saved Vinicius Junior’s volley before the break, one of Madrid’s clearest chances. The goalkeeper then denied Rodrygo early in the second half with a superb save with his legs, as the visitors hunted for the breakthrough. Ramos, in his element, produced multiple blocks and clearances to keep Madrid at bay, before Sevilla took the lead. Alaba, under pressure from Youssef En-Nesyri, accidentally turned Ocampos’ cross into his own net with 15 minutes remaining.

However the Andalusians were not able to hold on to it for long, with Carvajal heading Toni Kroos’s free-kick home at the near post four minutes later. Tempers frayed in the final stages as Vinicius pushed Nyland, who fell to the floor theatrically, sparking a shoving match. Sevilla said they ejected a fan after an instance of racist abuse during the game, with Spanish media running images of a man appearing to make a monkey gesture at Vinicius during the brawl.

‘Sorry to Alvaro’ 

Atletico’s big win at Celta was aided by home goalkeeper Ivan Villa’s red card midway through the first half for felling Alvaro Morata. Griezmann tucked away the resulting penalty and hit two more to move second in La Liga’s goalscoring charts on seven strikes. The Frenchman netted his second when he drove forward brilliantly from inside his own half into the Celta area, and then slipped as he tried to cross the ball, accidentally driving it past Guaita at the near post.

“It was a cross, I wanted to cross it in and for that reason I said sorry to (Morata),” Griezmann told Movistar. The forward slotted Nahuel Molina’s low cross home to complete his treble and round off a superb night for the Rojiblancos and Diego Simeone.

“Until the penalty they seemed like they could hurt us,” said the Argentine coach, who admitted Rafa Benitez’s Celta, 18th, had started well. “The penalty and the red card changed things.” — AFP