Casemiro at the double to help Real Madrid fend off Sevilla

Julen Lopetegui returned here for the first time and befell the same fate as the men who preceded him. You have to go back 14 coaches and more than a decade to find the last manager to win here after Sevilla were defeated for a 13th consecutive visit. Yet this did feel different and Lopetegui – whose last job ended after 139 days with Real Madrid – departed angrily at full-time, not unreasonably convinced that his team could have had more.

Sevilla had an opening goal ruled out by the VAR and a wonderful last-minute opportunity for new signing Youssef En-Nesyri flash past the post.

Casemiro scored his first double to lead Madrid to victory, sending them top of La Liga before Barcelona host Granada on Sunday. For a defensive midfielder, the Brazilian has a habit of appearing when they need him – and this time they did.

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Sevilla thought they had the lead on the half-hour when Éver Banega’s deep corner found Luuk de Jong alone and he headed into the top corner, only for their celebrating players to see the referee, Juan Martínez Munuera, standing with his finger in his ear. Before the ball had gone in, Éder Militão had tumbled, holding his face. Something had happened, even if few knew what and there was a long wait before the referee headed to the touchline to see for himself.

As De Jong had peeled away towards the far post, Militão had turned after him and crashed into Nemanja Gudelj, standing in his path. At first glimpse, Militão seemed to be the man who precipitated the crash, but another angle suggested that Gudelj had turned his shoulder and leaned in to meet him. That it was clear and obvious was questionable, more material for a debate that is growing, but for Martínez Munuera it was enough.

Lopetegui was furious. When the half time whistle went 15 minutes later, it still occupied his thoughts. In that spell his team had enjoyed significant possession and the hint of a threat, but there were no real chances to take the lead for real this time. Indeed, there had been few opportunities in the whole of a tight, even first half. There were occasional moves, glimpses of quality, but reaching the forwards was another matter and there were no meaningful saves to note.

Ten minutes into the second half, just as thoughts turned to potential changes, the opening goal arrived. Casemiro and Fernando battled for the ball on the edge of the Sevilla area and it ran to Luka Jovic, who switched the lights on. A superb first-time backheel, ingeniously imagined and impressively executed, sent Casemiro into the area and he finished with a touch of class, dinking over Tomas Vaclik.

The game needed that, as did Jovic, whose start at Madrid has been slow. Casemiro pointed at his teammate, encouraging the fans to recognise the man who made it.

Madrid looked for more, Karim Benzema and Vinicius Jr entering immediately after, but it was Sevilla who scored, Munir and De Jong turning, twisting and bundling their way up the right, the ball coming to De Jong as Raphaël Varane failed to clear from Munir. With Munir down, knocked over and possibly committing a handball, De Jong’s footwork was superb and he curled into the far corner.

Sevilla’s celebration didn’t last, Casemiro appearing once more to head in Lucas Vázquez’s long, looping cross from close range.

With Sevilla chasing, this opened up, even if Zinedine Zidane did take the precaution of removing Marcelo. The best chances came Madrid’s way, Vinicius Jr flying. He made the best of them for Toni Kroos, superbly saved by Vaclik, then put a shot wide, before that last, dramatic opportunity for En Nesyri.

Casemiro even had the chance of the hat-trick, but that would have been too much even for him. He headed back smiling, his work done.