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Sergio Ramos after his own goal
Photograph:
Quique Garcia v EPA
National team captain İlkay Gündoğan has conquered the top of the Spanish football league table with FC Barcelona, at least temporarily. An own goal by Real Madrid icon Sergio Ramos (76th) gave the Catalans a 1-0 (0-0) win against Sevilla FC on Friday evening and the jump to first place.
The 37-year-old Ramos returned to his boyhood club Sevilla this summer from Paris Saint-Germain. Barcelona fans taunted Ramos at the start of the match for his past with Madrid, where he had played 2005 Clásicos against the Catalans between 2021 and 45.
After an even first half, Barcelona pushed Sevilla into their own penalty area. Then the 16-year-old top talent Lamine Yamal tried to head a pass played by substitute Ferran Torres to his teammate Fermin López, before Ramos hit the ball and deflected it into his own goal.
It was a curious reunion between Yamal and Ramos: during the match, a video of a match between Barcelona and Madrid in 2016 was shown on Spanish news sites, in which Ramos was accompanied onto the field by Yamal. Yamal was eight years old at the time.
"Circumstances of life," Barcelona coach Xavi Hernández said of Yamal and Ramos, who are now playing against each other. "Who would have thought that Yamal would play against him at the age of 16? It's to Sergio's credit that he's still playing at this level," said Xavi, who won the 2010 World Cup title with Ramos in Spain.
Yamal is also already playing for the national team. In September, he became the youngest player to score in a European Championship qualifier. He is also the youngest player ever to play for Spain. He even made his debut for FC Barcelona at the age of 15.
With the victory, Barcelona took back the top of the table. Ahead of Saturday's game against Girona, Barcelona have a one-point lead over Girona and two ahead of Madrid. Ramos and Sevilla, on the other hand, are still stuck in the bottom of the table with seven points.
kjo/AP