Real Madrid 1-0 Sevilla: Player ratings as Luka Modric earns vital win

Ramos returned to the Bernabeu for the first time since the pre-Covid era on Sunday, and inspired his team to hold off the La Liga leaders for much of the game.

A moment of sheer class from former teammate Modric, however, proved to be the difference between the two sides. The Ballon d’Or winner fired home the winning goal in the final ten minutes of the game to send Madrid eight points clear atop of the La Liga table.

How the game unfolded

Surprisingly it was Sevilla who’d carve open the first clear cut chance of the game. Some wonderful link-up play between Isaac Romero and Youssef En-Nesyri culminated in Isaac drilling the ball across goal and into the path of his strike partner on the right-hand side of the box. With just the goalkeeper to beat however, En-Nesyri was unable to keep his subsequent first-time effort on target – ballooning it high and wide of the net.

En-Nesyri and Sevilla thought they were made to rue that miss two minutes later when a moment of brilliance from Vinicius Junior teed up Lucas Vazquez. The dynamic Brazilian chipped the ball through the heart of the Sevilla defence and directly into the path of Vazquez who, after controlling well, volleyed the ball into the bottom corner of the net. Following a lengthy VAR check however, the goal was eventually ruled out due to a foul on En-Nesyri in the build-up.

Madrid dominated proceedings thereafter, but failed to create any real clear-cut chances. Federico Valverde’s curling effort from long-range was the only effort on goal from Los Blancos that forced Orjan Nyland into a save throughout the first half.

Valverde would come even closer to scoring at the start of the second half, latching onto a Brahim Diaz low cross before slicing the ball off of the post.

Almost immediately after that chance, Madrid created a quick flurry of their own. First Rodrygo raced through the Sevilla defence and curled a wonderful effort just wide of the top right corner, and then his Brazilian teammate Vinicius forced Nyland into a great save with his curling effort from the right of the box.

Real Madrid finally got their goal in the 80th minute through substitute Luka Modric. The legendary midfielder rolled back the years when introduced, controlling beautifully to drift past Boubakary Soumare on the edge of the box before rifling into the bottom right corner of the net.

Real Madrid player ratings (4-3-1-2)

GK: Andriy Lunin – 7/10 – Made a truly stunning save early in the first half.

RB: Lucas Vazquez – 6/10 – Scored a wonderful goal that was ruled out after a VAR check. Got up and down the flank well throughout.

CB: Antonio Rudiger – 6/10 – Recovered possession for his side an impressive seven times in the game.

CB: Nacho Fernandez – 5/10 – Caught out a few times by Sevilla’s pace on the counter attack.

LB: Ferland Mendy – 6/10 – Like Vazquez, he raced up and down the flank well.

CM: Federico Valverde – 7/10 – Hit the post in the second half and rarely put a foot wrong in possession.

CM: Aurelien Tchouameni – 6/10 – Completed a rather ridiculous 98% of his passes on the night, but didn’t get noticeably involved in the game.

CM: Toni Kroos – 8/10 – 94% pass accuracy and always in the right place at the right time to get the ball back for his team. Top class as per.

AM: Brahim Diaz – 6/10 – When he began to drift out to the right flank in the second half, he began to assert his authority on the game.

ST: Rodrygo Goes – 7/10 – Caused Sevilla problems with his direct running through the centre of the park.

ST: Vinicius Junior – 6/10 – Showed his class on more than one occasion. His assist for Vazquez’s disallowed goal was utterly sublime (even if the goal didn’t count).

Substitutes

SUB: Luka Modric (74′ for Nacho) – 8/10 – Came off the bench and scored a brilliant goal.

SUB: Dani Ceballos (88′ for Brahim) – N/A

SUB: Alvaro Rodriguez (90′ for Rodrygo) – N/A

Manager – Carlo Ancelotti – 7/10 – His substitution made the difference for Real Madrid. Ancelotti deserves plenty of credit for that switch that won the game.

Player of the match: Toni Kroos (Real Madrid)