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Sevilla vs Real Madrid – Copa del Rey – 2nd Leg: Player Ratings

By Alex McVey

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Real Madrid drew 3-3 in Sevilla to advance to the quarterfinal of the Copa Del Rey. In the following Player Ratings, Alex McVey breaks down some of Madrid’s individual performances.

Starting 11:

Kiko Casilla: 9 – Excellent performance from Casilla. Made a number of crucial saves in a row to keep a goal-hungry Sevilla from ultimately posing a danger to Madrid’s aggregate lead.

Sergio Ramos: 6.5 –  Not the best 90 minutes from Ramos, who may still be returning to match fitness.  There was poor communication between him, Nacho, and Casemiro on the second goal, and Ramos probably missed his mark. However, in characteristic Ramos fashion, he followed a subpar performance with a bit of late glory, scoring a cheeky Panenka penalty kick for Madrid’s second goal.

Nacho: 7 – Nacho had some great moments throughout the match, and was one of the reasons why Sevilla had trouble extending their lead beyond one in the first half. However, he may have contributed to the communication problems with Ramos for Sevilla’s second goal and almost certainly allowed Sevilla’s attackers to remain onside for the third.

Marcelo: 7.5  – This was a classically Marcelo match – he posed a huge threat going forward but had a tough time containing Vietto on the flank. Without the likes of James, Modrić, and Isco in the lineup, and with no Ronaldo on the wing, Marcelo needed to be a big source of the offensive output.

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Danilo: 3 – To paraphrase a line from the Men In Blazers, ‘you’d have to be pretty good to score an own goal this bad.’ This was one of those own goals from Danilo. His diving header would have been an extraordinary finish had it been completed at the opposite end of the park. Instead, it signified his obvious nervousness in defense, which cropped up again and again throughout the night. His offensive contributions weren’t terrible, which allowed him to slot in easier to the attack when Vázquez came off the pitch.

Asensio: 8.5 – Asensio showed some good resistance to Sevilla’s press early on, but like the rest of Madrid’s attackers, failed to demonstrate much of an end product in the first half. His goal early into the second half, however, was pure quality. He carried the ball from the top of Madrid’s box, touched it past Kranevitter, danced around Vietto, and slots it into the back of the net. A much needed goal to put the match largely beyond Sevilla’s reach.

Casemiro: 8 – Although he occasionally got caught out in a press which allowed Sevilla a number of dangerous chances, Casemiro’s contributions were a net positive. He was a brick wall in front of Madrid’s defenders, blocking shots and making crucial interceptions to set Madrid away on counter-attacks.

Kroos: 8 – A good match overall for Toni Kroos tonight. We got to see some of the slicing through balls that make him such a threat by seamlessly connecting defense to attack. He also made himself a danger with a number of long shots, doing more direct attacking than he does when Luka Modrić is in the lineup. However, it would’ve been nice to see him put more of these shots on target.

Morata: 5 – Morata really failed to involve himself in the match. While one curling attempt came close to finding the top corner, for the most part Morata seemed to have left his shooting boots at home, skying multiple chances over the bar. He certainly isn’t going to make a case for his inclusion in Madrid’s regular starting 11 playing like this.

"Morata isn’t going to make a case for his inclusion in Madrid’s regular starting 11 playing like this."

Vázquez: 6 – A mixed bag for Lucas. There was lots of huffing and puffing about the pitch.  It was good to see him putting in that effort, but he would be well served by tempering this with a bit of self-control. While he made strong runs there was not much end product. He also got worked up and conceded an unnecessary yellow, forcing Zidane to bring him off near the end to prevent going down a man.

Mariano: 6.5 – Mariano, like Vázquez, showed lots of good hustle, but could have used more self-control. His energy and work-rate nearly saw him strip a ball off Sevilla’s keeper for a goal, but he was too overly-reliant on pace and explosiveness, occasionally causing him to make silly mistakes.

Subs:

 Kovačić: 6 – Kovačić made an instant impact in helping break Sevilla’s lines with his sikly-smooth dribbling. Good to see him back from injury, as Madrid will need him fit for the upcoming months.

Carvajal: 6 – Added a bit of defensive stability, looking much less shaky than Danilo. Not much time to influence the match, but was tidy when he needed to be.

Benzema: 9 – Karim Benzema came on for Alvaro Morata and made the difference, securing Zidane’s record breaking undefeated streak. Benz’s run through the center of Sevilla’s defense is commendable, as Karim showed why he continues to be the preferred No. 9 in Zidane’s lineup.

Man of the Match: Kiko Casilla.

I know it’s strange to say this when Madrid conceded 3 goals, but my Man of the Match award goes to our keeper this evening. While it could be said that Asensio’s impressive cross-pitch sprint turned crucial away goal or Benzema’s last ditch equalizer were more important goals, neither player demonstrated the consistency that Casilla did throughout the 90 minutes. It’s great to know that if something happens to Keylor Navas, Madrid have a quality keeper ready in waiting.

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