Sevilla consolidated their position as Real Madrid's closest challengers for this season's La Liga title by beating the slumping Atlético Madrid 2-1. Ivan Rakitić's seventh-minute opener for Sevilla was cancelled out by an equalizer scored by Felipe. However, Lucas Ocampos would ensure that Los Rojiblancos would leave with all three points.
Sevilla's victory kept them in second place in La Liga, five points behind leaders Real. If Sevilla maintain their current pace, this might turn out to be the Andalusian club's finest league season in well over half a century.
The last time Sevilla won La Liga was in the 1945-46 season, while the last time they even finished in the top two was in 1956-57. Yet, that could all change this season. No team has gained more from the sudden declines of perennial title contenders Atlético and Barcelona than have Sevilla.
The bulk of Sevilla's success this season has come on the strength of their impressive defense. With just 12 goals conceded in 17 league matches, they are currently tied for second in this statistic among all the clubs of Europe's four major leagues. Their starting back four of Gonzalo Montiel, Marcos Acuña, Diego Carlos, and Jules Koundé as well as goalkeeper Bono have emerged as one of the most stifling backlines in world football - and a highly underrated one at that.
Now in his third season in the dugout at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán, head coach Julen Lopetegui has also turned his reputation almost completely around. Prior to taking the job at Sevilla in 2019, Lopetegui was best known for his ill-fated stints in charge of the Spanish national team and subsequently Real. His selection for the position at Sevilla was greeted with skepticism from many. However, he has thoroughly silenced the doubters since then by leading Sevilla to back-to-back Champions League berths and a Europa League title. He has also been a key reason why Sevilla have been able to keep pace in what could so easily have turned out to be a one-sided title race.
Sevilla are already in the midst of their best era since the 1940s and 1950s. Over the past eight seasons, they have qualified for the Champions League five times, reaching the quarterfinals in the 2017-18 season. They have also won four Europa League titles and reached the final of the Copa del Rey twice. However, all of these would pale in comparison to the significance that a first league title in 75 years would bring.
On paper, this would seem to be an extremely tough ask, given the star power and financial might that Real possess. However, it isn't impossible - a five-point gap can easily be overcome, especially with so many matches still to be played. All it would take for Sevilla to claim an edge in the title race is one short slump on Real's part - something that could happen to any team at any time.
The upcoming January transfer window will be crucial towards Sevilla's title push. Sevilla currently have neither a true playmaker nor a major goalscoring threat. These points are evidenced by the following facts: Rafa Mir is their leading goalscorer in the league with just five goals, while Acuña leads the club in league assists with three. Bear in mind that almost half the season has already been played; on a per-match basis, these figures do not hold up well at all. Sevilla thus ought to prioritize offensive output during the next transfer window - it could be their key towards mounting a genuine league title push and perhaps even toppling Real.
Nevertheless, their Champions League performance notwithstanding, Sevilla's season thus far has exceeded even what their most ardent fans would have dreamed possible. This team seems to have just the right blend - that "X-factor" that no Sevilla team has ever quite had - until now.
Of course, there's always the possibility that Sevilla's early-season form will end up fizzling out, allowing Real to win the league by a wide margin. However, based on what Sevilla have shown us thus far, their form seems to be sustainable. All it will take now is one final push. Whether that push will come, however, is yet to be seen.
Is this the year at last? Maybe, maybe not - but they're closer than almost all their fans can remember them being.
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