Vinicius Jr. and Luka Modric ran rampant as Real Madrid cruised to a 6-0 win over Levante at the Santiago Bernabeu on Thursday.
Real Madrid started the game on the front foot, as Dani Cardenas denied Karim Benzema in the early runnings. And Los Blancos duly went ahead in the 13th minute when Ferland Mendy scored from close range after getting a free run into the Levante box. Six minutes later, the hosts were two to the good, with Karim Benzema heading in from Vinicius Junior’s cross.
Real Madrid then went three ahead just after the half-hour mark, with Rodrygo Goes scoring from point-blank range after receiving an inch-perfect pass by Luka Modric. Modric then turned supplier for Vinicius Jr. with a beautiful give-and-go, with the Brazilian having enough time and space to find the back of the net.
The Merengues took their foot off the pedal somewhat in the second half, with the game already won in the opening period. But there was time for Vinicius Jr. to score two more goals and complete his hat-trick. The Brazilian netted his second of the night after Benzema rounded off Cardenas and unselfishly squared the ball for him.
Then in the 83rd minute, Vinicius Jr. completed his hat-trick with another close-range goal. The result has taken Real Madrid up to 84 points, with Levante rooted to the bottom of the La Liga table, six points from safety, meaning they are going down to the second division. The Hard Tackle now runs the rule over Carlo Ancelotti’s men.
?️ @MrAncelotti: "Vinicius and Karim played very well tonight, as they have all season. The whole team is doing a great job and this allows them to show their quality. Time has helped them both. They understand each other very well."#RealMadridLevante pic.twitter.com/EdoL5Y5YxD
— Real Madrid C.F. ???? (@realmadriden) May 12, 2022
Thibaut Courtois: 6/10
Courtois enjoyed an evening off, as he had to make only one save. The Belgian international had more work to do with his feet than with his gloves and completed 90 per cent of his attempted passes.
Lucas Vazquez: 7/10
Vazquez was not as influential as Ferland Mendy on the left flank. But the Spaniard played two key passes while retaining an 88 per cent passing rate. He enjoyed a quiet night on the defensive front, with Levante barely testing him.
Jesus Vallejo: 8/10
Vallejo endured a forgettable moment last weekend against Atletico Madrid. But he redeemed himself with a colossal performance versus Levante, which included five blocks, three tackles and two interceptions. The Spaniard lost just one duel in the game while completing most of his attempted passes.
Nacho: 7/10
Levante did not test Nacho much, but the Spaniard still completed solid defensive actions, with four interceptions, three clearances and two tackles. The experienced defender also played out from the back smartly, misplacing just two passes.
Ferland Mendy: 8/10
A stunning assist from Modric and a brilliant run from Mendy to put the champions ahead ? pic.twitter.com/JPXAt7WIml
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) May 12, 2022
Mendy made a strong start to the game, as he got a free run into the Levante box before scoring the opener. The Frenchman camped himself in the opposition half for much of the game and defended well higher up the pitch while linking up smartly with Luka Modric and Vinicius Jr.
Federico Valverde: 9/10
Valverde had a free role in the middle of the park, and he was here, there and everywhere as a result. The Uruguayan international barely misplaced a pass while putting in the hard yards off the ball. But he was desperately unfortunate to not score, smashing the woodwork thrice on the night.
Eduardo Camavinga: 9/10
Camavinga sat at the base of the Real Madrid midfield in Casemiro’s absence, and he showed his versatility with a colossal performance in the middle of the park. The young Frenchman did not shy away from going into tackles, completing six in the game. It was a performance that paved the way for total dominance from Real Madrid.
Luka Modric: 10/10
3- Luka Modric ?? has delivered three assists in a single game for @realmadriden for the first tiem (434 matches). The last Real Madrid player to provided three assists in a single #LaLiga game was James Rodríguez vs Rayo Vallecano at Santiago Bernabéu in 2015. Hat-trick#RM?? pic.twitter.com/MULcFEqiGX
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) May 12, 2022
Modric was in the mood from the get-go, as he released Mendy for the opener before grabbing two more assists on the night. The veteran Croat’s low cross for Rodrygo was top-notch, but the best of the lot was the delicate give-and-go with Vinicius Jr. for the Brazilian’s first goal of the night.
Modric’s numbers against Levante are a marvellous read, as he played a game-high six key passes, created three big chances, and completed all his attempted long balls while still winning two duels. He will soon sign a new contract with Real Madrid, and it will be well deserved.
Rodrygo Goes: 9/10
Rodrygo did well to create enough space for Modric to send the ball in for him to score his goal. Other than that, the Brazilian was a lively presence in the final third and played three key passes before going off at the hour mark. He has nailed down his spot for the UEFA Champions League final with his late-season onslaught.
Karim Benzema: 9/10
✨ ?????????✨
⚽ @Benzema 3️⃣2️⃣3️⃣ @RaulGonzalez ⚽ pic.twitter.com/O2oVMyeJc8— Real Madrid C.F. ???? (@realmadriden) May 12, 2022
Benzema might have taken a backseat in the game, but he still found a way to extend his record of scoring one goal per game on average this season. The Frenchman hustled his way to find the back of the net with his head and equal Raul’s tally for Real Madrid. Benzema also grabbed an assist by setting up Vinicius for the Brazilian’s second of the night. It was just another game for the best in the world.
Vinicius Junior: 10/10
Vinicius Junior was the Player to Watch in our preview, and he produced a performance out of the top drawer. The Brazilian international started a little slowly, but there was no stopping him once he provided the assist for Benzema’s goal. Vinicius ran rings around the Levante defence and scored three goals from four shots on target to complete his first hat-trick for Real Madrid.
The first came courtesy of a brilliant give-and-go with Modric before he opened his body to score. Vinicius then had Benzema to thank for doing all the hard work and handing him the goal on a plate. The third was another close-range strike, but he did well to produce a clever finish. Trent Alexander-Arnold will be in for a tough evening in Paris if Vinicius’s form continues.
3 – Vinicius Junior ?? has scored his first hat-trick in 168 games for @realmadriden in all competitions. Samba#RealMadridLevante #RM ?? pic.twitter.com/QQQ7dmgO0I
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) May 12, 2022
SUBSTITUTES
Mariano Diaz: 6/10
Mariano was one of few Real Madrid players who barely made an impression on Thursday. But he did not need to either, with the game already in the bag before his introduction.
Peter Gonzalez: N/A
Peter was a bundle of energy off the bench and helped see the game out without much fuss.
Luka Jovic: N/A
Jovic came on for Benzema but did not see the ball much. However, he still managed to supply the assist for Vinicius’s hat-trick goal.
Toni Kroos: N/A
Kroos replaced Valverde and pulled the strings effortlessly in the final 15 minutes.
Mario Gila: N/A
A late introduction, Gila helped see the game out.
