Sevilla needs point to secure survival

Sevilla go into Sunday’s home game against Real Madrid one point from mathematical safety in LaLiga. The club start matchday 37 in 12th place on 43 points after back-to-back home wins over Real Sociedad and Espanyol and a 3-2 away win at Villarreal on Wednesday, according to LaLiga’s official results and standings pages. Real Madrid visit the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán at 19:00 local time on May 17, with DAZN listing the match for broadcast. That equation has sharpened the stakes around a fixture that, in most seasons, would be framed mainly around the opponent. This time, Sevilla’s immediate concern is simpler: avoid defeat and the club cannot finish in the bottom three with one round left. Coach Luis García Plaza said on Friday that “it’s not done” and that his players “can’t relax for a single minute.” ### How close is Sevilla to safety? LaLiga’s official table shows Sevilla on 43 points from 36 matches, four points above the relegation zone with two games left. Mallorca, Levante and Real Oviedo occupy the bottom three places on 39, 39 and 29 points respectively, while Elche are 17th on 39. A draw against Real Madrid would move Sevilla to 44 points. With only one match remaining after Sunday, that would put them beyond the reach of every team currently in the bottom three, regardless of other results. A defeat would leave the calculation open for the final day. Sevilla are due to finish the season away to Celta on Saturday, May 23, according to the club’s fixture list. ### How did Sevilla get into this position? Sevilla’s recent run has changed the table quickly. LaLiga’s results page shows a 1-0 home win over Real Sociedad on May 4, a 2-1 home win over Espanyol on May 9 and a 3-2 victory at Villarreal on May 13. Those nine points followed a damaging stretch that included losses to Levante, Osasuna and Real Oviedo and a home defeat to Valencia in March. With two rounds left, the late recovery has lifted Sevilla from direct danger but not yet out of it. Luis García Plaza has framed the margin as unfinished business rather than relief. In comments published by Sevilla on May 15, he said the team were still recovering from the midweek game and added that there were “48 hours left before the match.” ### Why does one point settle it? The key number is 43. Sevilla begin the weekend four points clear of Mallorca and Levante, who are 18th and 19th, and four points clear of 17th-placed Elche as well, with two matches to play. A draw would take Sevilla to 44. The bottom three clubs could then reach no more than 42 points if they won their final game after Sunday, which would leave Sevilla safe before the last round. LaLiga’s official standings page lists Mallorca and Levante in the relegation places entering matchday 37, with Real Oviedo already further adrift on 29 points. ### What has García Plaza said before facing Real Madrid? Luis García Plaza told reporters on Friday that “it’s not done, we can’t relax for a single minute,” in comments published on Sevilla’s official website. He said the team had to manage recovery from the Villarreal match before turning to Sunday. The coach had struck a similar note after beating Espanyol on May 9. In post-match comments published by the club, he said “with 40 you do not stay up,” after that result moved Sevilla onto 40 points. Those remarks match the table. Sevilla have improved their position, but the club still need the final point to remove the arithmetic. ### What do we know about Sunday’s game? LaLiga and Sevilla list Sevilla against Real Madrid for Sunday, May 17, at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán. LaLiga’s official site shows a 19:00 kickoff in Spain, which appears as 10:00 on the league and club pages for users in the United States. DAZN’s Spanish schedule page says the match can be watched on its platform. Real Madrid start the game second in the table on 80 points, according to LaLiga. Sevilla’s final league match is away to Celta on May 23. By then, the club could already have secured its place in the 2026-27 top flight if it take at least a point from Real Madrid on Sunday.