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Real Madrid logo
Champions League | Group Stage
Sep 15, 2015 at 7.45pm UK
 
Shakhtar Donetsk

4-0

Benzema (30'), Ronaldo (55' pen., 63' pen., 81')
FT(HT: 1-0)

Player Ratings: Real Madrid 4-0 Shakhtar Donetsk

Sports Mole takes a look at how each player performed during Real Madrid's 4-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk in their Champions League Group A opener.

Real Madrid opened their Champions League Group A campaign with a thumping 4-0 win against Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday evening.

Karim Benzema handed Los Blancos the lead in the 30th minute, before Cristiano Ronaldo added a second-half treble.

Shakhtar, who only managed one attempt on target in Madrid, finished the match with 10 men after midfielder Taras Stepanenko picked up a second yellow card early in the second period.

Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at how each player performed at the Bernabeu.


Real Madrid's Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates his second goal during the UEFA Champions League group A football match Real Madrid CF vs FC Shakhtar Donetsk at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on September 15, 2015© Getty Images

REAL MADRID

Goal

Keylor Navas: Only had one save to make and that came late on when he tipped an Alex Teixeira effort over the crossbar. Looked strong and confident between the sticks once again. (6/10)

Defence

Dani Carvajal: Continued at right-back due to Danilo's injury and had another strong game. Played a part in the awarding of the second penalty and was always a threat going forward. (7/10)

Raphael Varane: Was caught in possession on a couple of occasions in the first period, but did come close to scoring with a clever header. Subbed off injured for Pepe at the interval. (6/10)

Sergio Ramos: Had a strong 60 minutes at the heart of the defence, but could not complete the game after failing to recover from a strong Stepanenko challenge. (7/10)

Marcelo: Gave Darijo Srna all sorts of problems in a wide area, while he was also excellent at the back - playing a key role in yet another clean sheet for Rafael Benitez's side. (7/10)

Midfield

Toni Kroos: Not always obviously involved, but kept things ticking over from a deep position. Always looked capable of threading a pass through the eye of a needle. (7/10)

Luka Modric: Another all-action performance from the Croatian, who was everywhere at the Bernabeu. Prepared to help out in a deep area as well as contribute in the final third. (8/10)

Isco: Failed to find the back of the net despite a couple of good chances, but was involved in a lot of good work in the Shakhtar half. Combined excellently with those around him. (8/10)

Attack

Gareth Bale: Looked bright in the early stages as he roamed all across the forward line, but the Welshman was replaced due to a calf problem in the 31st minute. (6/10)

Karim Benzema: Opened the scoring in the 30th minute with a close-range finish, but passed up two excellent chances in Madrid. In truth, could have helped himself to four or five goals. (7/10)

Cristiano Ronaldo: Moved clear at the top of the Champions League scoring charts with yet another hat-trick. Two came from the spot, but it was still an excellent night for the 30-year-old. (9/10)

Substitutes

Mateo Kovacic: Replaced Bale moments after Real Madrid had taken the lead and the Croatian did not take long to get up to speed. Looked calm and composed in possession of the ball. (7/10)

Pepe: Replaced the injured Varane at the interval and in truth, did not have that much to do in the second period. Strolled his way through the game in the Spanish capital. (6/10)

Nacho: Injury forced Real Madrid into three changes, with Nacho the third of those just before the hour. Like Pepe, did not have that much to do such was the home side's domination. (6/10)


Karim Benzema of Real Madrid beats Andriy Pyatov of Shakhtar Donetsk, but does not socre during the UEFA Champions League Group A match between Real Madrid and Shakhtar Donetsk at estadio Santiago Bernabeu on September 15, 2015© Getty Images

SHAKHTAR

Goal

Andriy Pyatov: Had a poor night at the Bernabeu. Made a horror mistake for the first goal as he dropped an Isco cross, while he was also at fault for the fourth goal of the evening. (5/10)

Defence

Darijo Srna: Was one of the away side's better players in the first period as he got forward on a number of occasions, but his second half was marred by a poor penalty call from the referee. (6/10)

Oleksandr Kucher: Was a doubt to start after picking up an injury in the warm-up, but did shake off the knock to feature. Struggled to deal with Real Madrid's quality in the final third. (6/10)

Yaroslav Rakitskiy: Ultimately part of a defence that struggled all evening to deal with the home side's attacking prowess. Did not look comfortable under long spells of pressure. (6/10)

Marcio Azevedo: Like Srna, the Brazilian was a real threat in the first period with his forward running, but also like Srna, he conceded a penalty in the second period. (6/10)

Midfield

Fred: Looked dangerous when he ran at the Real Madrid defence, but that was not a common occurrence at the Bernabeu. Drifted in and out of the match. (5/10)

Taras Stepanenko: Got about the pitch quite well in the first period, but cost his team dearly when he was sent off early in the second. Should have known better than to dive into Ramos. (4/10)

Marlos: Was tasked with linking with Teixeira and his centre forward, but the Brazilian found it difficult to impose himself against the hosts. Subbed off in the 74th minute. (5/10)

Alex Teixeira: Had his team's only attempt on target late on, but it was a quiet night for the Brazilian, who entered the match in an excellent run of scoring form. (6/10)

Taison: Showed bits and pieces when he was able to get hold of the ball, but like a number of his teammates, struggled after the break when the hosts turned the screw. (6/10)

Attack

Oleksandr Gladkyy: Had the difficult task of leading the line in Spain and only really had one opportunity in the match - heading wide a Taison cross just before the hour mark. (5/10)

Substitutes

Maksym Malyshev: Replaced Taison in the 67th minute and had an eventful end to the match. Fired a decent chance over the crossbar and was also booked for a poor challenge on Carvajal. (6/10)

Viktor Kovalenko: Thrown on in place of Marlos for the final 15 minutes, but it was a big ask for the 19-year-old to make an impact at that stage of the match. (6/10)

Bernard: Hardly touched the ball in the final 10 minutes of action. (6/10)


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Real Madrid's Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates his second goal during the UEFA Champions League group A football match Real Madrid CF vs FC Shakhtar Donetsk at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on September 15, 2015
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