Player ratings as Asensio scores an 8, Bale gets a 5 as Real Madrid beat Real Betis 5-3

Andy West 08:23 19/02/2018
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Mail
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Marco Asensio.

    Real Madrid staged a storming second-half comeback to beat Real Betis 5-3 in an eight-goal La Liga thriller.

    Marco Asensio (2), Sergio Ramos, Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema were on target as the Spanish champions recovered from a 2-1 interval deficit to avenge their Bernabeu defeat to Betis in September.

    Aissa Mandi and a Nacho own goal saw Betis’ first-half superiority rewarded, before Sergio Leon gave the hosts late hope until substitute Benzema struck in stoppage time.

    Here, we rate the players from both sides.

    REAL BETIS

    Adan: Parried Ronaldo’s shot straight onto Asensio’s head for the opening goal, and made an awkward save from the Portuguese star’s low shot just before the break. Produced two very good stops to deny Bale after the break. 6

    Barragan: Worked hard up and down the right flank without posing much attacking threat. Received a yellow card for a ‘take one for the team’ foul on Asensio. 6

    Mandi: Sent a first half header inches wide from a corner, but made no mistake a few minutes later with a close-range leveller. Like his defensive teammates, didn’t always look defensively secure. 6

    Bartra: Former Barcelona defender was charged with leading Betis’s build-up play from the back and he did that well, showing an excellent range of passing. But he was less comfortable defensively, struggling against Ronaldo’s power. 6

    Amat: Some poor defending in the build-up to the first goal, and was replaced by Garcia when Betis changed to a flat back four in the second half. 5

    Junior: Making just his second appearance at senior level, the youngster had plenty of chances to get forward and took one of them to give his team a dramatic lead. He tired and was caught out by Carvajal for the key third goal, but bounced back to deliver a brilliant cross for Leon’s goal. 7

    Boudebouz: A bright spark for Betis during the first half, regularly coming inside from his starting position as an ‘inverted winger’ on the right to showcase his skills. Faded after the break and came off with ten minutes remaining. 7

    Fabian: Outstanding in the centre of midfield during his team’s purple patch in the first half, controlling possession and also showing the creative ability to link midfield with attack. Less of a factor when Madrid stepped up in the second half. 7

    Guardado: Kept things simple in the centre of midfield, using his experience to tick things over for the hosts. Went for the spectacular on one occasion, shooting from the halfway line and only just missing the target. 7

    Joaquin: The veteran oozed class down the left flank. Had a shot deflected wide, forced a great save from Navas with a wickedly curling long-range free-kick and then delivered a brilliant cross for Mandi’s equaliser. Quieter after the break but his first half was a masterclass. 8

    Loren: One of La Liga’s fastest-rising stars led the line with style, fizzing a low shot inches wide from 25 yards in the first half and missing by a similar margin midway through the second period. 7

    Real Betis

    Real Betis

    SUBSTITUTES

    Garcia: Came into the centre of midfield during the frantic final stages and tried to keep his team’s shape, which wasn’t easy. 6

    Leon: Striker scored with one of his first touches after coming off the bench, and nearly grabbed another with the last kick of the game. 7

    Tello: Had little involvement after coming off the bench. 5

    REAL MADRID

    Navas: Made a brilliant save from Joaquin’s first half free-kick and did well to hold a fierce curler from Fabian in the second, but could have done better with Betis’s second goal after getting plenty on Junior’s shot. 6

    Carvajal: Regularly struggled against Joaquin’s clever forward play but kept on motoring down the right wing, and made a brilliant run to tee up Asensio’s second goal for 3-2. 6

    Ramos: Not always secure defensively, being made to look pedestrian by Loren’s movement, but produced a thunderbolt header from Vazquez’s corner to equalise early in the second half. 6

    Nacho: Caught out by the pace and movement of Betis’s first half attacking play, and could be credited with an own goal after steering Junior’s shot over the line. But had the better of things in the second half. 6

    Marcelo: Bright for the opening half-hour but was then forced off with a hamstring injury which will greatly worry Zinedine Zidane. 6

    Vazquez: Never stopped running right until stoppage time, when he surged down the right to set up Benzema for the eighth and final goal of the night. Doesn’t always deliver quality but his endeavour is matchless. 7

    Casemiro: Not his kind of game. With the ball fizzing from one flank to the other and Betis enjoying the majority of possession, the Brazilian enforcer was often made to look distinctly uncomfortable as his worrying patch of form continues. 5

    Kovacic: His first start for two months and it showed, with the Croatian rusty in possession and poor defensively. But he kept going and covered miles of ground for his team. Rightly booked for a high challenge on Loren. 6

    Asensio: Selected to start on the left wing but popped up in the middle to nod home the opener from a rebound, and did so again with a neat side-footed finish for his second and his team’s third. Madrid’s most dangerous creative force all night and surely he must not be dropped now. 8

    Bale: Very quiet in the first half, barely contributing to the game. Twice forced Adan into great saves early in the second half with pacy bursts. But that was it, and he was soon replaced by Isco. 5

    Ronaldo: A typical post-2014 Ronaldo performance: did nothing outside the box but always looked capable of scoring. His fierce shot led to the opener for Asensio, and netted his team’s fourth with a fierce strike. 7

    Real Madrid

    Real Madrid

    SUBSTITUTE

    Hernandez: Replaced the injured Marcelo and now may have an extended run-out in the team. Steady and disciplined. 6

    Isco: A late replacement for Bale and made little impact on the left wing. 5

    Benzema: Came on for the dying stages and scored the final goal with a well-taken strike. 7

    Recommended