Cristiano Ronaldo was again the man of the hour for Real Madrid, as Zinedine Zidane’s men cut down the points tally that they require to lift their first La Liga title since 2012. It now stands at just one, ahead of their weekend trip to face Malaga in Andalusia.
The Portuguese star popped up with a brace, before Karim Benzema and Toni Kroos got in on the goalscoring act, with Celta Vigo only able to reply through a deflected strike from John Guidetti. Iago Aspas was dismissed in the second half for a second yellow card, with the damage having already been done.
It was Los Blancos’ second successive 4-1 victory in the league, with this one leaving them on the cusp of glory. Cristiano Ronaldo is still the apex predator, but his supporting cast but in a solid team performance on the night.
(All players are rated out of 10)
Celta Vigo
Sergio Alvarez – 7/10
Made an excellent save low down to his right to deny a shot from Isco that came through some traffic, and generally was kept very busy by a Real Madrid team that peppered his goal with shots from every angle.
Hugo Mallo – 6/10
Fairly bright when given the license to get forward when the contest was still alive, as the Celta captain enjoyed driving with the ball and giving Marcelo something to think about defensively on the outside of Iago Aspas. A little rash in his own half.
Gustavo Cabral – 6/10
Defended very well for long periods, with his physical style of defending ensuring that Karim Benzema didn’t often have a great deal of space in and around the penalty area. Strong in the air, but was occasionally caught a little off-guard with intricate dribbling.
Facundo Roncaglia – 6/10
Formed a solid partnership at centre-back with Cabral, with it mainly a lack of protection which let the home side down after the hour mark. Wasn’t afraid to step out and make plenty of interceptions.
Jonny – 6/10
Wasn’t afraid to push on and help try and stretch Real Madrid, but he was forced into some quite cynical defending whenever Celta were caught out in possession or on the back foot for long periods.
Daniel Wass – 5.5/10
Didn’t offer a great deal of quality on the ball on the break, but did sting Keylor Navas’ hands with a fierce free-kick effort. Worked very hard to cover and track back, in a deeper role than he is used to, but the Dane was often overrun.
Pablo Hernandez – 5/10
Was solid enough when Celta were on the ball, but the Chilean midfielder made some very poor challenges on the night through any cynicism or frustration. When Real Madrid began to put the game beyond doubt, it appeared to provoke a reaction from him.
Jozabed – 5.5/10
Showed what he can do with his technical ability in flashes, but overall the Spaniard wasn’t able to affect the game all too often due to the ball fleetingly going his way. A lack of options ahead of him could also be a reason for the lack of penetration he could offer from a deeper midfield area.
Pione Sisto – 6/10
Bright and pacey, with his speed and trickery causing a few problems for Danilo in the early stages. Appeared to have the beating of the Brazil international, which forced the visiting midfield to re-adjust to give their right-back more cover. End product wasn’t there, however.
Iago Aspas – 6/10
Sent off rather unfairly, receiving a first yellow card for dissent, before getting a second for supposed simulation – when it appeared the Spain international had been fouled by Sergio Ramos. Went close on a number of occasions and always found room for a shot from tight angles.
John Guidetti – 4.5/10
Did score with the aid of a very wicked deflection, but generally, the Swedish striker was very slow to react in the box, with his touch letting him down and his decision making showing his lack of current confidence. A night to forget for the Celta target man.
Substitutes
Marcelo Diaz – 6/10
Introduced into the centre of Celta’s midfield, and did have the opportunity to show his calmness and composure on the ball with some neat pieces of skill. Kept possession fairly well in his cameo.
Pape Cheikh – 5/10
Given the last 10 minutes after replacing Sisto, with the home side looking to close things up a little and inject some energy into a tiring midfield. Didn’t make an impact.
Claudio Beauvue – 5/10
Given the last five minutes or so at Balaidos, but didn’t have time to impose himself on proceedings or care out any chances for himself at the head of the attack.
Real Madrid
Keylor Navas – 7/10
Made a couple of smart saves in instances where Celta Vigo were very much looking like scoring and unsettling Real Madrid’s composure a little. Another confident performance from the ex-Levante shot-stopper.
Danilo – 6/10
Did struggle against Sisto early in the game, with the Danish youngster giving him twisted blood at times. Rode out a slow start, however, to put in a fairly solid and complete performance, even if his quality further forward let him down overall.
Sergio Ramos – 6/10
Perhaps a little fortunate to not give away a clumsy penalty for a challenge on Iago Aspas, with the Spain international being a little bit rash and poor with his positioning on the night. In the end, no harm was done, but if Real Madrid had imploded in Galicia, their captain would have had some questions to answer.
Raphael Varane – 7/10
Never looked concerned and was always calm in possession. His frame and brute strength armed him well to deal with Guidetti, who likes to have a lot of the ball played into his with his back to goal. Fairly strong in the air, too.
Marcelo – 7/10
Provided a brilliant assist for Benzema’s goal, getting down the outside on the left incisively to cut back a dangerous ball from the byline. Dealt well with Hugo Mallo and Iago Aspas’ combination play down Celta’s right, too.
Toni Kroos – 7.5/10
Sealed the win with a goal in successive games for Real Madrid, the first time that he has pulled off such a feat for Los Blancos. Diligent with his defensive work and also very keen to go for the jugular on the counter, with it paying off late on.
Casemiro – 6.5/10
Picked up a booking, as usual, but the Brazilian midfielder was solid if not unspectacular in his role of providing the balance in midfield. Added some bite into a defensive unit that was asked its fair share of questions over the first 60 minutes.
Luka Modric – 7.5/10
Another effortlessly solid performance from the Croatia international, who was calm and composed in possession but similarly keen to drive forward and beat players when the opportunity arose. Balanced and mature showing.
Isco – 7.5/10
Drifted around dangerously in his free role, peeling off the flank to occupy whichever dangerous space he believes to be the most advantageous. His run in behind his man was key in the build-up to the first goal, allowing for Marcelo to look down the line.
Karim Benzema – 7.5/10
Tapped home a finish from a few yards out to make it 3-0, but generally looked to try and link up play and then move the ball on. Didn’t have a lot of chances of his own, as Roncaglia and Cabral watched the Frenchman very closely indeed. Denied once by Sergio Alvarez, too, when he should have scored.
Cristiano Ronaldo – 8
Scored twice, with his first being a fantastically struck finish. Took his chances clinically, for the most part, but did spurn the chance to bag his hat-trick after being a touch cocky in the opposition penalty box. Dangerous with his movement and is a real threat as a number nine.
Substitutes
Mateo Kovacic – 6/10
Introduced with 20 minutes to go for the booked Casemiro, slotting into his role and seeing out the game in rather simple and composed fashion. Continues to be a very useful squad player.
Lucas Vazquez – 6/10
Freshened things up on the right-hand side of midfield, to give Real Madrid a bit more a solid midfield five when they were out of possession and looking to see out a good away result.
Marco Asensio – 6/10
Introduced for the last five minutes, but was keen to try and get on the ball as much as possible. Didn’t have time to make too much of an impact, however.
