Real Madrid Player Ratings vs. Sevilla: Vinicius Jr Strike Seals Victory

Madrid ground out three points against a Sevilla team that still aren’t safe.

Vinicius Junior was Real Madrid’s match-winner in Seville. | Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto/Getty Images

Real Madrid secured back-to-back La Liga wins via a 1–0 win over Sevilla on Sunday evening, ensuring the hosts will have to fight for their survival on the final day.

While Madrid are desperate for this tumultuous campaign to draw to a close with José Mourinho set to re-emerge, Sevilla are one of the many teams who could yet find themselves playing in the second tier next season.

Thus, this bout meant much more to the hosts, who were ultimately stymied by a resolute Madrid performance after being undone by a slick Vinícius Júnior finish inside 15 minutes.

The Brazilian’s goal proved to be the difference in Andalusia, with Sevilla three points clear of the drop zone heading into what promises to be a thrilling Matchday 38.

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One Thing We Can’t Ignore

Vini Jr is enjoying a productive end to the season. | Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto/Getty Images

Few would suggest that Vinícius Júnior is enjoying a vintage campaign, but the divisive samba star is doubtless having a productive end to 2025–26.

The winger’s cool finish to open the scoring was his fifth goal in his previous six outings, having drawn a blank in back-to-back games against Barcelona and Real Oviedo. His upsurge arrives at an imperative stage of Vini Jr’s career, with a potentially legacy-defining World Cup campaign on the horizon.

The Real Madrid superstar has been held up as Brazil’s poster boy amid Neymar’s waning influence on the national team, but Seleçāo supporters have been left perpetually frustrated by Vini Jr’s impact on the grand international stage. Eight goals in 47 caps is a tame record for a player of his talent and stature, and only two of these strikes came at a major tournament.

A demanding soccer nation has been distinctly underwhelmed by an undeniable star, but perhaps the stoic presence of Carlo Ancelotti on the touchline this summer will see Vini Jr not merely flicker his brilliance in canary yellow, but take over the World Cup.

It was the arrival of the Italian that coincided with Vini Jr’s Madrid breakthrough, and Ancelotti will be encouraged by his star’s conclusion to a disappointing season for Los Blancos.

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Real Madrid Player Ratings vs. Sevilla (4-4-2)

Vini Jr opened the scoring with a cool finish. | CRISTINA QUICLER/AFP/Getty Images

*Ratings Provided by FotMob*

GK: Thibaut Courtois—8.1: Perhaps could’ve been a little sharper with the ball at his feet, and he wasn’t tested all that much despite Sevilla’s spirit.

RB: Dani Carvajal—7.7: Few complaints about Carvajal’s performance. It’s likely to be his penultimate for the club, with an emotional farewell pencilled in next week.

CB: Antonio Rüdiger—7.2: This was Rüdiger’s sort of game. The German had little care in the world for Sevilla’s survival ambitions and was a presence the hosts couldn’t bypass throughout.

CB: Dean Huijsen—6.9: The typically classy and nonchalant Spaniard embraced the grittiness of Sunday’s contest alongside Rüdiger, keeping Sevilla at bay for the duration.

LB: Fran García—6.8: A lively enough performance from the left back, who perhaps could’ve served as a more dangerous outlet down the left-hand side.

RM: Brahim Díaz—7.0: A quiet outing for the slight playmaker, who couldn’t work his way into a rugged contest.

CM: Jude Bellingham—7.4: An all-action display from Bellingham, whose forward forays were limited. The Englishman was defensively reliable.

CM: Aurélien Tchouaméni—7.2: The Frenchman has low-key had a fine season amid the turmoil, some of which he was directly a part of. He‘s popular in the dressing room for a reason (because he’s really good!), and we saw the cultured work of Tchouaméni on display here.

LM: Thiago Pitarch—6.8: A scrappy performance from the academy graduate, who shuttled in from the left to help overload Sevilla centrally. Jury’s out on whether he’s of the requisite level.

ST: Kylian Mbéppe—6.2: While Mbappé wasn’t subject to much hostility on Sunday, the Frenchman could only offer spurts of threat. He was imprecise in the final third, but crashed the box effectively to tee up Vini Jr’s winner.

ST: Vinicius Junior—7.6: His satisfying finish proved to be the match-winning moment for the visitors.

SUB: Franco Mastantuono (70’ for Tchouaméni)—6.5: The Argentine rattled the post with a wicked effort almost immediately after entering the fray.

SUB: Eduardo Camavinga (70’ for Pitarch)—6.1: Camavinga was a steady enough presence in midfield, which he certainly hasn‘t always been off the bench this season.

SUB: Trent Alexander-Arnold (78’ for Díaz)—6.0: Used ahead of Carvajal once he came on, offering him greater license to create.

SUB: Gonzalo García (78’ for Vini Jr)—5.9: Touched the ball six times.

SUB: Álvaro Leiva (87’ for Bellingham)—N/A

Subs not used: Javier Navarro (GK), Sergio Mestre (GK), David Alaba, Álvaro Carreras, Dani Meso.

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What the Ratings Tell Us

Mbappé returned to Madrid’s starting lineup. | CRISTINA QUICLER/AFP/Getty Images

• Kylian Mbappé’s "fourth striker" claims were met with rolling eyes in the Spanish capital midweek, and the Frenchman ironically performed like a barely useful depth option on Sunday evening. Okay, maybe that’s harsh. Some lovely sequences manifested Mbappé’s explosive majesty, and he was involved in the opening goal, too, but the Frenchman’s clinical edge escaped him in Seville. He got himself into some excellent positions, only to scupper the final action.
• Real Madrid are expected to part ways with captain Dani Carvajal at the end of the season and move forward with Trent Alexander-Arnold, who’s had an encouraging end to the season but was among the substitutes here. Carvajal thus earned a rare La Liga start, showcasing the steady reliability that has defined his decorated Madrid career. They’ll miss his influence in the dressing room.

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The Numbers That Explain Real Madrid’s Gritty Win

• The visitors claimed victory while recording just a single shot on target. However, they did outperform Sevilla on xG (1.03 to 0.73).
• The hosts generated their measly xG haul from 14 shots, and were unable to craft a single ’big chance’.

Statistic	Sevilla	Real Madrid
Possession	41%	59%
Expected Goals (xG)	0.73	1.03
Total Shots	14	12
Shots on Target	6	1
Big Chances	0	2
Pass Accuracy	80%	88%
Fouls	18	12
Corners	4	4

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