Zidane gives the ball away

Real Madrid made Sevilla try the medicine with which Cádiz and Alavés treated the whites before in this League. An overwhelming possession record for the Sevillans, but the three points in the Madrid bag. Zidane's pupils had the ball 36.85% of the time at the Pizjuán, their lowest figure of the season. Only in one other game this season has Madrid had less control of the ball than its rival: El Clásico against Barcelona (47.62% for the current League champion at Camp Nou). Another game that, like that of Sevilla, ended with a soothing (and brilliant) victory at a difficult time for Madrid.

Despite the undisputed dominance, which in the second half reached 79.18%, those of Lopetegui were hardly able to put Courtois in trouble. Only 2 of the 12 seizures of Sevilla were between the three suits: Chilean paths, those of De Jong and Ocampos, both in the first half.

It is paradoxical that Madrid has emerged victorious from the two league games that had the least possession and, on the other hand, reaped two defeats and a draw against the three teams against which they had the most the ball: Cádiz (74.83%), Real Sociedad (67.71%) and Alavés (67.59%). In those three games he was only able to score one goal, Casemiro's against the babazorro team. In addition to being the only two teams in LaLiga that do not reach 40% possession, Cádiz (31.34%) and Alavés (38.75%) are the teams that have the least the ball in the five main European leagues. Instead, With 57.95% possession, Madrid is the third team with the most ball in the Spanish League and the 15th of the five main European championships.

The one of Pizjuán was the third party with less possession of Madrid in the last five years, since Zidane took over the bench in his first stage. He only had the ball less at Betis-Madrid in 2018-2019, with Solari on the bench (26.53%), and in Zidane's first Clásico at the Camp Nou in April 2016 (36.85%). Both ended with a white victory for the same result: 1-2.

As a curiosity, In the ten league games he led Madrid in his time at the Bernabéu, Lopetegui recorded two of Madrid's four games with the most possession since Opta began collecting data in the 2005-2006 season. Since that campaign, Asteasu's is the only Whites' coach to have exceeded 60% in his time on the Madrid bench. To spare, in addition: 65.63%. A hallmark that he keeps in Sevilla, where, with 61.37%, it is the second team with the most possession in LaLiga Santander (only behind 63.45% of Barça) and the sixth in Europe. The king of the ball in the major leagues of the 'continent' is Pep Guardiola's Manchester City, with 63.88% of possession.