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		</div><p>Real Madrid eased the pressure on manager Zinedine Zidane by moving level on points at the top of LaLiga following a 1-0 win at in-form Sevilla.</p>
<p>Karim Benzema’s second-half header settled a tight encounter at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan as Real bounced back from Wednesday’s heavy Champions League loss to Paris St Germain.</p>
<p>The result, which puts Real on 11 points alongside early leaders Athletic Bilbao, inflicted a first loss on Sevilla head coach Julen Lopetegui, who was sacked by Real 11 months ago.</p>
<p>Substitute Javier Hernandez thought he had salvaged a late draw for the hosts but his deft finish was correctly ruled out for offside.</p>
<p>Under-fire Real boss Zidane dismissed questions about his future in the build-up to the game in Andalusia.</p>
<p>Pressure had increased on the Frenchman after last season’s struggles and a low-key start this term were followed by a miserable midweek trip to the French capital.</p>
<p>Reports suggested he could be on his way out of the Bernabeu only six months after returning to the club he guided to three European crowns in his previous spell.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">That atmosphere&#8230; ð<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SevillaFCRealMadrid?src=hash&;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SevillaFCRealMadrid</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZSCM8WS0v0">pic.twitter.com/ZSCM8WS0v0</a></p>
<p>&mdash; LaLiga English (@LaLigaEN) <a href="https://twitter.com/LaLigaEN/status/1175847378664005632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2019</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>However, Barcelona’s shock reverse at Granada on Saturday – the Catalan club’s second LaLiga defeat of the season – possibly diverted the immediate attention away from him, before this slender success in southern Spain strengthened his hopes of staying on.</p>
<p>Eden Hazard, who managed the opening 70 minutes at the Parc des Princes, was handed his first league start for Real, forming a potent three-pronged attack with Gareth Bale and Benzema, with James Rodriguez and Toni Kroos tasked with supplying the ammunition.</p>
<p>Sevilla’s combative midfielder Ever Banega appeared keen to curtail Real’s creative talents and was booked during a fairly uneventful opening half an hour for a crunching challenge which left both Kroos and James crumpled on the deck.</p>
<p>Zidane’s opposite number Lopetegui was then shown a yellow card for appealing for Bale to be booked for a fairly innocuous challenge on Real loanee Sergio Reguilon.</p>
<p>Lopetegui is fully aware of the pressures of working for Real having lasted less than four months in charge of the 33-time Spanish champions at the start of last season.</p>
<p>The former Spain coach, who had played down talk of exacting revenge on Real, had enjoyed an impressive, unbeaten start with his new club, taking 10 points from a possible 12 to steer them to the top of the table ahead of the weekend’s matches.</p>
<p>His side, who are a now point off the summit in fifth place, were seriously tested for the first time 10 minutes before half-time when former Chelsea man Hazard was slipped in by Benzema only to denied by Tomas Vaclik from a tight angle.</p>
<p>Czech goalkeeper Vaclik later saved comfortably from Bale’s ambitious long-range free-kick before a tetchy, forgettable first half drew to a close.</p>
<p>There continued to be little between the sides, until Benzema broke the deadlock with a quality finish in the 64th minute.</p>
<p>French striker Benzema expertly nodded the ball back across Vaclik and into the right corner after right-back Dani Carvajal produced an inviting cross from the by-line.</p>
<p>Lopetegui threw on former Premier League forwards Hernandez and Nolito in the hope of preserving his unbeaten record.</p>
<p>Former Manchester United and West Ham striker Hernandez flicked the ball in home from close range three minutes from time but could have no complaints about it being chalked off.</p>
<p>Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois ultimately remained untested as the hosts finished the game without registering an attempt on target.</p>
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