No one upstages Cristiano Ronaldo
To British media, this game was about Gareth Bale. Ronaldo had different ideas. 11 years to the day since he signed for Manchester United, Ronaldo put on a typically goal-laden display in front of the man who brought him to England. He shared a warm greeting with Sir Alex Ferguson after collecting his medal, and later dedicated it to the Scottish legend. That’s now 18 goals in five seasons against Sevilla.
That’s not to say that Bale was poor. Indeed, he had a very good game. His pass to set up Ronaldo’s first goal was exquisite, and it took a good save from Beto to keep out a last minute lashed shot. With his parents in attendance, he became the fourth Welshman to win the competition.
One down, five to go…
Just as Bale was quoted before the game, talk of a trophy sextuplet is a good sound bite, but could it be a possibility? A lot may depend on the next two weeks. Keep Sami Khedira, Angel Di Maria and Isco, and Madrid have a breathtaking squad capable of competing in every competition. Lose them, and suddenly Madrid have a bench that still has quality, but not quite at the same level as the first XI.
Casillas restored
Perhaps not a huge amount can be read into the fact that Keylor Navas was left on the bench after only recently arriving, but it was nonetheless interesting that Ancelotti went with Iker Casillas in a seemingly first-choice XI. He made three or four brilliant saves, but his shot-stopping was never in doubt.
Who knows, maybe Ancelotti thought better of leaving out a player who hasn’t lost a final for 14 years. Casillas lifting a trophy from the bench just wouldn’t feel right, would it?
Sevilla can take heart
Seville never looked like causing an upset, but their performance can give them confidence for the season.
New captain Federico Fazio helped keep out an avalanche of corners for Madrid, and at the other end Carlos Bacca worked tirelessly for his team, and made some insightful runs. However, the test will be how to replace not only Ivan Rakitic, but Alberto Moreno. It’s unfair to judge a player’s performance against Ronaldo, but worryingly, Fernando Navarro lost and then couldn’t keep up with Ronaldo for Madrid’s first goal.
Denis Suarez, a star-in-waiting
While not exactly the same style of player, Denis Suarez has the qualities to fill a rather large Rakitic-size hole in Seville’s midfield. Though his favoured starting position is the No. 10 role, Suarez was omnipresent, helping out in the attacking third with probing through balls and working back to make important interceptions in his own half.
Still only 20 and untested at the highest level, it will be a big ask to spearhead Sevilla’s season, but the way he got amongst the Madrid stars suggests he possesses the big-game temperament.
