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Real Madrid beat Sevilla 1-0 in a must-win game for Zinedine Zidane on Saturday. Los Blancos were in dire need of a win, after they failed to win a single game in La Liga last month.
With Zidane's job on the line, Real came out with all guns blazing. They pressed the ball with intensity and were clearly the more hungry side. Los Blancos did rue a couple of big chances in the opening half, but they were undeterred.
Despite Sevilla's explosive start to the second half, they absorbed the pressure and kept looking for outlets. They were finally rewarded in the 55th minute, as Vinicius's effort at the goal was pushed in by Yassine Bonou for an own goal.
The visitors clung on to their lead to secure a very important three points, as they looked to regain a bit of their lost confidence.
Here is how each player fared for both sides.
Sevilla Player Ratings vs. Real Madrid
Yassine Bonou - 5.5/10
Yassine Bonou was excellent for his side in the opening half, as he made a couple of excellent saves to deny Real Madrid the opener. He was quite unlucky to score an own goal to hand the visitors all three points.
Aleix Vidal - 7/10
Aleix Vidal put in a solid performance for the Sevillistas. The Spaniard started his first game for the club in over a year in the absence of Marcos Acuna and Sergio Escudero. Vidal won eight duels, recovered possession eight times, won two tackles and completed the most passes (74) in the match.
Diego Carlos - 7/10
Diego Carlos was magnificent at the back for the hosts. He denied Karim Benzema of an early goal, as he beat the Frenchman in the air at the goal-line. Carlos even made some last ditch blocks to deny Real Madrid on numerous occasions.
Jules Kounde - 7/10
Jules Kounde put in a decent performance at the back alongside Carlos. He was quick to neutralize any incoming threat. Kounde enjoyed an impressive outing and was astute defensively. Moreover, he was calm on the ball and did not unsettle the defensive line.
Jesus Navas - 7.5/10
Jesus Navas had an excellent outing for Sevilla. He was a menace going forward, as he created the most number of chances (4) for his side. The Spaniard combined well with the forwards high up the pitch. Navas won five duels, made five recoveries and won a tackle throughout the entirety of the game.
Ivan Rakitic - 7/10
Ivan Rakitic was pretty solid in the opening half, but waned off in the second period. He was the engine that drove the hosts in the center of the park. Rakitic won four duels, made four recoveries and won a tackle during his stay on the pitch against Real Madrid.
Fernando - 7/10
Fernando was an absolute workhorse in the center of the pitch. He put in a massive shift for his side, as he covered a lot of ground to cover his team-mates. He made six recoveries, won four duels and made one clearance for his side.
Joan Jordan - 6/10
Joan Jordan endured a difficult night in the center of the pitch, as he was taken for a ride by Toni Kroos, Vinicius, and Casemiro. He looked quite unsettled in the midfield as Real Madrid tried to capitalize on the space he left behind him.
Munir El Haddadi - 5/10
Munir El Haddadi was replaced at the start of second half, as he was unable to produce anything substantial upfront. The 25-year-old hardly posed a threat to Real Madrid. Haddadi lost eight duels in the first half itself, and thus was taken off by Julen Lopetegui.
Luuk de Jong - 6.5/10
Luuk de Jong was isolated for majority of the game. However, he did manage to engage with Real Madrid's back-line. The Dutch international won seven duels, as he looked to cause all kinds of problems for Real Madrid.
Lucas Ocampos - 7.5/10
Lucas Ocampos was the biggest threat for Real Madrid. He was electric on the right flank, as he engaged well with Ferland Mendy and Toni Kroos. Ocampos won 12 duels, made five recoveries, won three tackles and completed three dribbles during the game. He was also the most fouled player throughout the night as he tried to produce something upfront.
Substitutes
Oliver Torres - 6.5/10
Oliver Torres' substitution saw Sevilla change their formation ,which caused Real Madrid to move onto the back foot. He provided additional width on the wing and acted as an additional outlet upfront.
Nemanja Gudelj - 6/10
Nemanja Gudelj did not have a substantial impact on the game. Apart from his close free-kick effort, he failed to produce anything worthwhile.
Suso - 6.5/10
Suso's introduction to the side revived the hosts. With his entry on the pitch, Sevilla looked more dangerous on the breaks as they looked to grab an equalizer. Suso completed four dribbles and won six duels during his stay on the pitch.
Youssef En-Nesyri - 6/10
Did not have much impact on the game.
Oussama Idrissi - N/A
Came on too late to earn a rating.
Real Madrid Player Ratings vs. Sevilla
Thibaut Courtois - 6.5/10
Thibaut Courtois was merely a spectator for the majority of the game, as most of the action unfolded in the opposite half of the pitch. The Real Madrid stopper hardly had anything to do, but was quick off his line to sniff out any danger.
Lucas Vazquez - 8/10
Lucas Vazquez was brilliant for Real Madrid. He played the role of makeshift right-back to perfection yet again. Vazquez was outstanding offensively, as well as defensively.
He won 10 duels, made five recoveries, completed five dribbles and made two clearances throughout the entirety of the match. Vazquez even created two chances for Real Madrid.
Raphael Varane - 7/10
Raphael Varane was back to his usual best against Sevilla, as he led the defensive back-line to a much-needed clean sheet. He overcame his disastrous run of form to rise to the occasion. The Frenchman made quite a few crucial blocks to deny the hosts of an opening.
Nacho Fernandez - 7.5/10
Nacho Fernandez has justified his position in the starting line-up ahead of Eder Militao with impressive performances. He stood like a rock at the back for Real Madrid. Nacho won 11 duels, made four recoveries, won four tackles and made two clearances to guarantee a clean sheet for his side.
Ferland Mendy - 6.5/10
Ferland Mendy had a decent outing, as he combined well with Vinicius and Toni Kroos. The Frenchman was excellent defensively, but lacked the cutting edge upfront as he looked lost for ideas.
Luka Modric - 7/10
Luka Modric is dropping world-class performances week in, week out, even though he is in the twilight of his career. The Croatian absolutely ran riot in the center of the field and linked up well with Toni Kroos and Casemiro. Modric recovered possession eight times and made three interceptions for Real Madrid.
Casemiro - 6.5/10
Casemiro was not up to his usual best, but still managed to get his part done perfectly as Real Madrid kept a clean sheet. The Brazilian international won eight duels, made two clearances and revived possession for his side five times.
Toni Kroos - 7/10
Toni Kroos was the engine of Real Madrid's midfield. He came close to open the scoring for his side in the first half, as his effort whistled just above the bar. Kroos maintained the tempo of the game, as he looked to orchestrate play for his side.
Rodrygo - 5.5/10
Rodrygo was taken off for Marco Asensio in the 66th minute of the game. The Brazilian endured a difficult tenure on the pitch, as he was bullied by the hosts for the entirety of the game. Rodrygo lost 10 duels throughout his stay on the pitch.
Karim Benzema - 6.5/10
Karim Benzema had a few bright moments in the game, as he looked to inspire Real Madrid to a much-needed victory. He came close to scoring in the final minutes of the opening half, but was denied by an excellent save by Bonou.
The Frenchman looked isolated for most parts of the game, but he tried to make the most out of his chances.
Vinicius Jr - 7.5/10
Vinicius Jr. did exactly what was required of him on the left flank. The Brazilian international posed a threat every time he had the ball at his feet.
Although he missed quite a few big chances, Vinicius forced the only goal of the match, as Bonou put one in his own net. He won nine duels, created three chances, completed five dribbles and made five recoveries.
Substitutes
Marco Asensio - 6/10
Marco Asensio did not have much to do, as most of the action unfolded at the opposite end as Sevilla looked to grab an equalizer.
