Real Madrid took care of business on the road against Sevilla, defeating the team that was in first place in La Liga to move into a tie for first with Athletic Bilbao.
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| Real Madrid celebrating Benzema's goal |
It felt like the sky was falling after Real Madrid’s embarrassing 3-0 loss to PSG in their Champions League opener on Wednesday, but there were signs that Los Blancos would have a big bounce-back performance on Matchday 5 against Sevilla.
Although the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan is one of the most difficult stadiums to play at, Real responded perfectly against former manager Julen Lopetegui. With Sergio Ramos back in the lineup, Real’s defense looked much more composed. A high-pressing game served the midfield well, as they were both less exposed and received much better cover from a less-overworked back four.
The result was a 1-0 win and an impressive clean sheet for Real. They could have scored more than one goal if Eden Hazard, Dani Carvajal, and Gareth Bale were able to convert their chances, but Real have to be happy with gutting out all three points against a rival, especially since Barcelona lost to Granada 2-0 just one night earlier.
Here are the three biggest standout performers from Real Madrid’s win, with a special focus on a defense that more than rose to the occasion.
Raphael Varane
The French center back was under a microscope for this game, because he struggled badly against PSG just a few days earlier. Varane was so bad, in fact, that he was one of the poorest Champions League performers out of everyone in the opening matches. He failed to provide any sort of cover for Dani Carvajal on the right side, made poor decisions on the ball, and generally looked both lost and ineffective without captain Sergio Ramos by his side.
On Sunday, Varane looked like the world-class center back he is. Sevilla’s strikers, whether Luuk de Jong or Chicharito, could do nothing to threaten the 26-year-old. He made zero mistakes at the back end, allowing Thibaut Courtois to finally have a relatively uneventful day between the sticks.
Everyone on defense had a strong performance for Real in this game, but it was Varane who stood out the most. And, yes, he deserves additional credit for rising to the occasion in a tough environment shortly after struggling mightily. Sevilla tried to put a target on Varane’s back, but the World Cup winner handled the pressure with aplomb.
That’s what an elite performance at center back looks like. Statistically, Varane led the team with nine clearances and a pass completion percentage of 91.4%,
Karim Benzema
Coming into this game, Real Madrid knew it would be difficult to score goals against a Sevilla side that had surrendered just one goal in their first four La Liga games to support their standing as the competition’s top team in the standings.
So Real also knew that they would need to count on star striker Karim Benzema to find the breakthrough.
After striking twice against Levante on Matchday 4, Benzema bagged the game’s deciding goal in the 64th minute in the same way he scored his first against Levante. Benzema simply latched on to an inch-perfect cross from Dani Carvajal, catching hold of his header perfectly to place the ball beyond Tomas Vaclik.
The Sevilla keeper had been excellent throughout the game, so Benzema needed to make no mistake with this golden opportunity.
Benzema continues to be Real’s most clinical forward, whereas Hazard and Bale missed good opportunities. The French star continues to put himself in good positions inside the box, providing Carvajal with opportunities to whip in dangerous crosses.
He also had a pair of key passes, putting in hard work for his teammates, as per usual.
Based on the fact that Benzema has five goals in five games to clearly lead the team, there may not be a more important player for Los Blancos than the 31-year-old.
Dani Carvajal
Dani Carvajal came under fire after a poor performance against PSG. He couldn’t handle Angel Di Maria on the left side of PSG’s formation, putting in a well below-average shift defensively. Carvajal was exposed so badly that fans started to wonder if he truly is in a state of decline, as he also made a couple of critical errors in a 3-2 win over Levante despite playing reasonably well overall.
Like Varane, Carvajal had a huge statement game against Sevilla, playing a key role in a much better defensive effort from Los Blancos to finally help maligned goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois register a clean sheet.
Carvajal finished the game with four interceptions, three tackles, and four clearances, putting him in a tie with Varane for the running as the team’s Man of the Match. What may put Carvajal over Varane in terms of performance in this exact game, though, was his vital assist. He started the brilliant passage of play with a cheeky touch and finished it with another perfect cross for Karim Benzema,
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