Real Madrid 3-0 Levante: Player Ratings
Levante went down 3-0 to a spirited Real Madrid as Marcelo, Cristiano Ronaldo and Jese Rodriguez got on the score sheet for Los Blancos. Real Madrid fans paid tribute to Raul with their chants as the Merengues took home all three points at the Bernabeu after coming off the back of two draws against Malaga and Atletico Madrid respectively.
Ronaldo overtook Raul as the most prolific Real Madrid goalscorer of all time and now has 324 goals. Levante had a few chances but came up against a brilliant Keylor Navas who is silencing critics with his performances this season.
Real Madrid Player Ratings
Navas – 8/10
Navas put in a virtuoso display in between the sticks and was called into action early in the game as Roger’s strike on goal was palmed away for a corner. The Costa Rican custodian made a brilliant save in the 29th minute when he blocked Deyverson’s header on goal. He denied the Levante attackers time and time again and ensured Madrid finished with their sixth clean sheet in the League.
Danilo – 7/10
Danilo gave a brilliant account of himself on the right side of defence as his marauding runs caused numerous problems for the Levante defence and the Brazilian looked to put in a cross whenever he could. He had a solid night at the back as well and won six of the nine duels he contested.
Nacho – 7/10
Nacho had a decent game at the back as he partnered Varane to keep Deyverson and company at bay. The Spaniard did not attempt anything flashy, was reliable on the ball and circulated it well. The Levante attackers picked him out numerous times, but he dealt with them confidently and also provided cover for Marcelo, who spent most of his time in the midfield.
Varane – 8/10
Cool, calm, composed and assured describes the Frenchman’s performance on the night as he made numerous clearances to nullify the threat Deyverson posed. His long balls were crucial in launching swift counter-attacks and a virtuoso performance in defence saw him come off with six interceptions and two tackles to his name.
Marcelo – 9/10
Marcelo provided an attacking outlet on the left and camped himself in midfield. Numerous dribbles, crosses, long balls as well as one-twos with Bale and Ronaldo sums up his night. The cherry on top of the cake was a brilliantly taken strike in the 27th minute as he dispossessed Luis off the ball, played a one-two with Ronaldo and finished off with a stinging shot in the bottom corner.
Kovacic – 7 /10
Kovacic gave a decent account of himself as he cycled possession well and also won 6 of the 8 duels he contested. The ex-Inter player who was booked at half time had numerous forays forward as he looked to tee Marcelo and Ronaldo inside the box. He was replaced by Madrid Castilla midfielder Marcos Llorente in the 77th minute.
Casemiro – 7/10
The Brazilian was tasked to do the dirty work in the midfield as he kept Levante’s physical players in check. Casemiro played a number of key passes as his long balls found the Madrid players in key positions. He made a brilliant tackle on Casadesus at the hour mark to stop a threatening counter-attack before it could develop.
Kroos – 7 /10
The German’s intricate passes were a key reason for Madrid having a majority share of the possession and he attempted numerous long balls throughout the game. Kroos registered 3 key passes to his name and gave the assist for Ronaldo’s goal. He looked to get on the scoresheet himself but saw his effort from the edge of the box parried away by Ruben.
Isco – 6 /10
Isco started on the right and popped up in pockets to create scoring chances for Real Madrid. He registered a pass accuracy of 96% but failed to influence the game in his usual manner. He was taken off for Jese in the 70th minute.
Bale – 6 /10
The Welshman was lively in the opening stages of the game, but his performance dropped soon after. Bale looked to switch positions with Isco and Ronaldo at every opportunity and failed to register a single shot on goal. His header in the 22nd minute went over the bar and Benitez opted to replace him with Vazquez at half time.
Ronaldo – 8/10
The Portuguese hitman had numerous chances to score in the game and his solitary strike of the match saw him become Real Madrid’s all-time top scorer. The goal was taken brilliantly as Ronaldo cut inside and unleashed a thunderous strike to the right corner after being teed by Kroos. Ronaldo was also involved in his side’s third goal and gave the assist for Marcelo’s opening goal of the game.
Substitutes
Lucas Vazquez – 7 /10
The Spaniard was introduced at half time and he looked lively throughout the second half. His mazy run into the box at the hour mark earned Los Blancos a free kick and he also registered an assist for Real Madrid’s third goal of the night. He was very unlucky not to be among the goal scorers as his shot narrowly missed the post at the 85th minute.
Jese Rodriguez – 8/10
The Spaniard was on the pitch for just 25 minutes but played brilliantly throughout. Jese beat Simao with a step over to score the third goal of the night from a Vazquez assist and his performance bled determination and commitment for the white shirt. He also caused a lot of trouble for the Levante defenders with his intelligent runs.
Marcos Llorente – N/A
The Castilla player failed to produce anything of note and had very little time on the pitch to make a difference.