Real Madrid and Sergio Ramos meet again today on opposite sides, which has already happened twice, although we must go back to the first stage of the Camas center-back in the team with which he became known, Sevilla, before his signing for the whites. 18 years have passed since that.
It could have happened earlier because after leaving the Bernabéu three summers ago, Ramos went to PSG, which met Madrid in the Champions League round of 16, but then the confrontation did not take place because the center back was injured in both games.
In Madrid, yesterday everything was good words for Ramos. Ancelotti said that he is very fond of him and hopes to greet him. “If I'm here it's because of Ramos' goal in the final in Lisbon,” the Italian coach said yesterday. It's true, Ramos sent the game to extra time with that goal in the 93rd minute. Then Madrid beat Atlético (4-1). Had he not won, Ancelotti would not have continued the following season.
The match comes to Sevilla with a new coach, the Uruguayan Diego Alonso, replacement for José Luis Mendilibar, who has not had much use for having won the Europa League with Nervión's team last year.
The two teams arrive at the Pizjuán match with very different, almost antagonistic, dynamics. Madrid is the leader with 24 points, two more than Girona and three more than Barcelona. Their goal is to reach the classic, this time in Montjuïc, with at least that difference. Sevilla comes from drawing at home with Rayo Vallecano (2-2) and is still immersed in the lower middle zone of the table, from which it could not escape throughout last season.
The fact that the game will be played after the national team break adds uncertainty. Madrid hasn't been bad lately against Sevilla. They have won in their last four visits to Pizjuán and have not lost to the Andalusian team in nine games, with a balance of eight wins and one draw.
Ancelotti has almost the entire squad available except for the two long-term injuries: Courtois and Militao, plus Nacho due to suspension and Dani Ceballos, who has been dropped from the list due to new discomfort. Arda Güler is already recovered but Ancelotti wants to take it easy with the Turk. With Alaba and Rüdiger safe as centre-backs, the doubt, as always this season, will be to see who makes up the midfield and whether Modric or Kroos are left out. At the top, Vinícius is considered safe and the other position would be between Joselu and Rodrygo. An attacking trident does not seem at all likely.
At Sevilla it is taken for granted that Sergio Ramos will start. The camero was not very liked by Mendilibar but with Diego Alonso it seems that he has the wind in his favor. The newly arrived Uruguayan coach has no sanctions or injuries. The last to leave the infirmary was precisely the striker Mariano Díaz, another former Madrid player, although it seems premature for him to have minutes, like the Argentine winger Erik Lamela, also fresh from an injury.
The return to goal of the Serbian Marko Dmitrovic and the presence of players like Iván Rakitic, Lukebakio, En-Nesyri or Sow is also considered very probable, while it is not so likely that Ocampos and Acuña, the last to join the team, will do so. group this week. Pizjuán will be close to full and wants to see a much better version of his team, more in line with expectations. The created at the beginning of the season. Madrid clings to its good moment and Jude Bellingham, its best asset.
