La Liga: Modric breaks his ‘brother’ Ramos’ heart with thunderbolt shot give Madrid the three points against Sevilla

Substitute Luka Modric scores the only goal as Madrid beat Sevilla to go eight points clear at the top of La Liga.

It looked for most of the game as if Real Madrid were going to drop points for a second weekend running. But Modric stepped off the bench to make the difference with a fine curling effort with nine minutes remaining.

Ramos, more than anyone, was looking for a win on Sunday, captaining his boyhood club against the side he spent his most notable years.

If not for a wonder goal from Luka Modric in the 81st minute, the Spaniard would have probably come back with a clean sheet and a man-of-the-match performance.

Ramos tried his best to get the referee to disallow Modric’s goal, too, claiming that Antonio Rudiger was interfering with play from an offside position. Eventually, though, the goal stood, and Madrid took all three points.

Modric did not let that moment get in between his camaraderie with Ramos, though, as the two exchanged shirts at full-time.

“Ramos? Yes, this is his shirt. He’s my brother. People always judge us by our age but his level is simply outstanding. I loved to see him today and also talked with him yesterday. He was very emotional. He’s a legend,”.

The hosts did most of the pressing throughout the game and thought they had taken an early lead through Lucas Vázquez, whose strike was disallowed after VAR ruled Nacho had fouled En-Nesyri in the build-up. Sevilla’s Moroccan striker had earlier wasted an excellent chance minutes after kick-off in what was the visitors’ only real effort on goal.

Madrid struggled to create anything of note in the opening period, other than a long-range strike from Fede Valverde, which Orjan Nyland did well to tip over.

That changed in the second period, though, with Vinicius and Rodrygo threatening the Sevilla goal, while Valverde struck the post with a miscued effort.

But by far the best chance fell to the away side, with Lunin making a superb stop to thwart Romero, who looked to have done everything right as he tried to guide the ball into the net.

That miss proved costly, with Modric curling in off the post after the ball had broken to him on the edge of the box. The winner proved to be controversial, with Sevilla claiming the offside Antonio Rüdiger was interfering with play in the build-up.

From there on, the visitors never looked capable of mounting a comeback and so it proved.

Real Madrid have another free midweek and are next in action away to Valencia on Saturday 2 March (kick-off at 3 pm ET).

Sevilla, meanwhile, play their next game on the same day at home to Real Sociedad.