Real Betis 2-1 Real Madrid: Real Madrid Player Ratings | La Liga 2019-20

Real Betis, who were yet to win a game since mid-January, entered the field today to impress their home fans and slow down the Real Madrid, who were in second place - merely a point away from classic rivals Barcelona.

The home side showed a sign of things to come as they started the match with a high-press tactic that saw Los Blancos struggle to keep possession with ease. Eventually, Madrid found their rhythm and proceeded to methodically find their way through the Betis backline, but it was all for naught.

It was Betis who took the lead near the end of the first half. A corner saw Los Blancos unable to clear their lines properly, and a quick scuffle from Nabil Fekir and Sergio Ramos pushed the loose ball into Sidnei's path. The defender blasted a fierce one-time shot beyond Courtois' outstretched arms at the near post to open the scoring.

Soon after, in injury time of the first half, Madrid won a penalty when Marcelo was brought down by Sidnei in the box. It was Karim Benzema who took the penalty, and the 32-year-old confidently fired a low shot into the bottom left corner to equalise for Madrid.

Much of the second half saw Real Madrid's threatening movements in the final third, and the visitors picked up a good number of shots during that time. However, their attacking flair saw them draw out their defenders too high, and a reckless pass by Sergio Ramos gave Betis a much-needed counter-attack.

Guardado, who snatched on to Ramos' pass, threaded a throughball beyond the Madrid defence for Cristian Tello who, one-on-one with Courtois, sent the keeper the wrong way and calmly placed the ball in the right bottom corner.

Los Blancos fought strongly for an equaliser, but Betis remained strong and focused at the back, and pushed away everything Madrid threw at them. The match ended with a vicious Benzema shot just wide of the post from 20 yards in, forcing Real Madrid to finish the game without a single point.

Without further ado. let's take a look at Madrid player ratings for today's game:

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Thibaut Courtois - 5/10

The 27-year-old didn't have a very good day in between the sticks. Neither goal was his fault, but it could be argued that he might have done a little bit more to keep Sidnei's shot from going in at the near post.

Eder Militao - 6.5/10

The young right-back may not have made a great impact in the final third, but he put in a good performance defensively. He put in tackles, made interceptions, and cleared the ball more times than any other Madrid player.

Raphael Varane - 6/10

The 26-year-old did not exceed any expectations with his performance. He remained level-headed and committed no fouls during the game.

Sergio Ramos - 4/10

It was the experienced centre-half's reckless pass that led to Betis picking up three points today. A very disappointing performance from the Madrid star.

Marcelo - 5/10

In the 58 minutes he spent on the field, the left-back didn't see much of the ball. He had the second-fewest touches on the Madrid starting eleven, after Courtois.

Casemiro - 5.5/10

The defensive midfielder was unable to do enough to change the proceedings of the game. While he helped recycle possession, much of it led to nothing.

Luka Modric - 6.5/10

Known for his passing capabilities, the midfield maestro picked up a strong 95% pass accuracy. However, apart from a few threatening opportunities, he couldn't help Los Blancos convert via open play.

Toni Kroos - 5/10

This time out, Kroos didn't put in more than average performance. He didn't directly affect the attack as he has done in the past, and there wasn't much he did in defence either, apart from a few tackles.

Lucas Vasquez - 7/10

The 28-year-old was a thorn in Betis' defence. He constantly drove the team into the final third, created chances, and opened his teammates up for chances as well. Sadly for him, little of his hard work bore fruit for Los Blancos.

Vinicius Junior - 6.5/10

The teenager also played an unpredictable game against Betis. However, he couldn't keep his shots on target, and he was caught offside twice. Asides this, his pace and chance creation remained consistent and troubling for the Betis defence.

Karim Benzema - 6/10

Apart from cooly slotting in the penalty to equalize for Madrid before the end of the first half, Benzema failed to score when he got the opportunities, and he didn't do much else to threaten Betis.

Substitutes

Ferland Mendy - 6.5/10

Mendy was a breath of fresh air to replace Marcelo's unappealing play. The 24-year-old came on board and quickly asserted himself in the final third. While he didn't have much time to influence the game, he found a good chance at goal and maintained pressure on the wing.

Mariano - 6/10

Although having three shots at goal in his short stint on the field, Mariano was unable to do much to change Madrid's fortune.

Federico Valverde - N/A

He didn't have enough time to affect the game in any notable way.