Would any player other than Cristiano Ronaldo warrant an
automatic place in the starting lineup after a five-game domestic
suspension when Madrid had coped admirably in his absence against Real
Sociedad? Zidane panicked with his substitutions, at one point eliciting
the wrath of referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz for having 12 players on the
pitch. It was a night to forget for the Real boss.
Player ratings (1-10, with 10 the best. Players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating) GK Keylor Navas, 7 -- The No. 1 was
required to make just two saves, the second a world-class stop from
Fabian, and should remain blameless in the inevitable inquisition. DF Dani Carvajal, 6 -- Saved his side with a
goal-line clearance early on but caused unnecessary panic later, a
throw-in straight to Fabian bringing the best out of Navas. Often
lacking a first touch on the front foot, Carvajal rattled the woodwork
in the second half on a luckless evening. DF Sergio Ramos, 5 -- Clearly eager to
score another overhead goal, Ramos tried one in stoppage time but could
have applied similar effort to defensive duties as he stood and watched
Sanabria score the winner seconds later. DF Raphael Varane, 7 -- The result could
have been more damning still but for Varane, who covered the lines
expertly when his colleagues pressed upfield. From a starting position
on the halfway line, he hounded Francis Guerrero to put the Betis canterano off his stride. DF Marcelo, 5 -- The left-back left far too
much room for Francis to exploit and, although he was involved in the
occasional attack, looked a little off the pace before going off with
what looked like a hamstring injury. MF Casemiro, 5 -- In a statistic indicative
of Real's evening, Isco made more tackles than the Brazilian, who
missed four as Betis ran amok in midfield. Cristiano Ronaldo never got on track in his losing return to La Liga play.MF Toni Kroos, 6 -- Kept things ticking
over as Luka Modric assumed the creative reins. Chanced his arm with a
drive from distance that Adan steered wide for a corner but this was far
from vintage Kroos. MF Luka Modric, 8 -- A driving run ended
with a shot into the side netting. Had the Croatian buried a cracking
side-foot volley, goal of the season shouts would have been fairly loud.
By far Real's best player on the night, Modric delivered a collector's
set of wonderful balls for his attacking line, who failed to accept the
gift. MF Isco, 6 -- Dropping deep to look for the
ball, Isco played a glorious early pass for Gareth Bale and another for
Ramos. Tested Adan with a crisp strike but failed to influence the game
and was the first number up as Zidane shuffled his pack. FW Gareth Bale, 7 -- His best game since
returning from injury. Played a cute cut-back for Ronaldo and fed
Casemiro at the near post a minute later. Often in the right position
for searching passes from deep, Bale almost bamboozled Adan with a flick
that the Betis keeper touched onto the woodwork. He sent in several
crosses that should have reaped greater profit. FW Cristiano Ronaldo, 5 -- Closely
monitored by Zouhair Feddal and Aissa Mandi, Ronaldo's best chance came
in the first half with a back-heel attempt reminiscent of his strike at
Rayo. Two shots on target from 12 attempts sums up his contribution and
his desperation manifested itself in a hotly argued non-existent penalty
appeal just after the hour mark. Substitutes MF Marco Asensio, 6 -- On for Isco on 67
minutes, Asensio lacked his customary spark and could not drag Real out
of the rut as he did against Valencia. FW Lucas Vazquez, NR -- On for Marcelo, Vazquez added energy but few ideas to the Real attack. FW Borja Mayoral, NR -- On for Modric in a
double change with Vazquez, Mayoral drew a fine save from Adan with his
first touch in a one-on-one and another with a late header.
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