Real Madrid ended a month-long wait for a convincing La Liga victory by beating Sevilla at home with the same scoreline as their previous emphatic success against Rayo Vallecano on 12 September. The result allowed the “royal” club to displace another team from Seville and move into the competition’s top three.
But who made the difference in the commanding win over Sevilla? Euro-football.ru selected the three most influential Real Madrid players, using a subjective rating system out of 10 and taking Jose Mourinho’s footballers as its reference point.
Kylian Mbappe – 8.0
Kylian Mbappe scored twice, won the penalty himself and converted it with considerable confidence. Before setting up his second goal, he produced a “Zidane turn” to evade his opponent and create the opening for the decisive finish.
The France international combined effectiveness with a particularly useful all-round performance, a balance he has not consistently shown in recent weeks. He also made the most of his opportunities rather than wasting them, despite Real Madrid creating them in abundance.
There was, however, one significant blemish on his display. Sevilla’s goal came after Mbappe attempted to dribble towards his own goal near the edge of the penalty area and lost possession.
Arda Guler – 8.5
There were no comparable complaints about Arda Guler, whose latest impressive performance further underlined his growing consistency for Real Madrid.
The Turkey international played with his usual composure, looked to create danger and reacted quickly to situations as they developed. He opened the scoring with a powerful strike and was rarely dispossessed during the match.
Guler also made two successful tackles, supplied three key passes and won five of his six duels. His contribution was another indication of why he has become one of Real Madrid’s most reliable performers.
Yan Diomande – 9.0
Yan Diomande’s development on the left wing continues to attract attention. Having scored in his previous match, he found the net again against Sevilla, but his influence extended far beyond the goal.
The Ivorian played a part in every Real Madrid goal. He picked out Guler on the edge of the penalty area for the opener, then delivered the ball across for Mbappe to score the second. Diomande also set Mbappe away to earn the penalty before completing the scoring himself with a powerful shot.
His direct running and attacking involvement repeatedly troubled Sevilla’s defence, making Diomande the highest-rated player of the match.