MADRID: Real Madrid’s rem­a­rkable 40-game unbe­aten run stretching back to April ended in dramatic fashion on Sunday when Sevilla’s Stevan Jovetic struck in added time to snatch a 2-1 win and blow the La Liga title race wide open.

Real looked set to go five points clear of rivals Barcelona at the top when Cristiano Ronaldo scored a record-equalling 56th La Liga penalty to give them the lead in the 67th minute at the Sanchez Pizjuan after Dani Carvajal was fouled inside the area by Sevilla goalkeeper Sergio Rico.

But Sevilla drew level five minutes from time thanks to an own goal by their former defender Sergio Ramos, whose every touch had been mercilessly booed by the home fans.

New signing Jovetic, making his La Liga debut on loan from Inter Milan, then completed the fightback when he bent in a shot from outside the area to hand Real their first defeat since a 2-0 loss at Wolfsburg in April in the quarter-finals of the Champions League last season.

“I couldn’t imagine a better start,” Jovetic told BeIN Sports Spain after only arriving in Seville on Tuesday.

Zinedine Zidane’s Real remain top on 40 points but saw their lead over Sevilla cut to one point, although they have a game in hand over both the Andalusians and Barcelona, who are third on 38.

However, the Frenchman urged his players to shrug off their disappointment with Real still well-placed to win a first ever treble of La Liga, Copa del Rey and Champions League.

“The result changes nothing. We played well against a great side and did the most difficult thing which was to score the goal and with such little time left they caught us out twice, which is the disappointing thing,” said Zidane.

“I have to be very proud of them all for what we have done until now. We know this was going to happen some day, it is today, and now we have to continue working hard in all competitions.”

It was the fourth straight league win for Sevilla, who have thrived in second-tier European competitions but haven’t won the league title since their lone triumph in 1946.

“This is a huge victory for us,” Sevilla coach Jorge Sampaoli said. “It will give us a huge boost going forward.”

Published in Dawn January 17th, 2017