The Brazilian was integral to another victory for Carlo Ancelotti's men, as Real Madrid extended their advantage atop their division.

It was a frustrating evening at times for Real Madrid but the reigning La Liga champions preserved their unbeaten record with a 3-1 win against Sevilla on Saturday.

Vinicius Junior was the inspiration with two assists to get the home team over the line.

He combined nicely with Luka Modric to get the league leaders up and running early on with a goal after just five minutes and both went on to put on fine individual displays.

Erik Lamela gave the visitors a fighting chance with a goal in the second half, but Vinicius Junior grabbed a second excellent assist to restore his team's lead.

Federico Valverde then wrapped up the win with a long-distance goal he had no right scoring as his side ensured they are still unbeaten after 11 matches in the Spanish top-flight.

The win sees Madrid move six points clear of Barcelona ahead of the latter's clash against Athletic Club on Sunday.

GettyThe Winners

Luka Modric:

Found the space inside the box to tap in the opening goal and could have scored another. The Croatia midfielder is 37 years old but plays like an energetic and determined youngster.

Gonzalo Montiel:

Picked up a yellow card for chopping down Vinicius Junior outside the box but other than that it was a solid display from the right-back. Reaped the rewards for his hard work and sharp passes when he won the ball from Vinicius Junior and played a lovely ball through to Erik Lamela for the equaliser. Minutes later he won the ball and drove forward before finding Lamela but the Argentine's effort missed the target.

Vinicius Junior:

Two assists for the Brazilian star. He was a threat from beginning to end and was always determined to carve something out for his team. He now has five goals and three assists to his name in La Liga this season.

AdvertisementGettyThe Losers

Ivan Rakitic:

The midfielder offered nothing to Sevilla at the Santiago Bernabeu. His passing was sloppy and his defensive work non-existent. A really tame performance from the veteran.

Yassine Bounou:

The Sevilla goalkeeper had a tough night with the likes of Vinicius Junior and Valverde coming at him. He was hopeless as Vinicius Junior squared to Lucas Vazquez for Madrid's second and should have done better, but there was nothing he could do about Valverde's stunning effort.

Dani Carvajal:

The right-back offered nothing to Madrid throughout the game until he was taken off. Definitely the weak link in the starting XI and Carlo Ancelotti was vindicated for taking him off as his replacement, Vazquez, scored just two minutes after he came on.

GettyReal Madrid Ratings: Defence

Thibaut Courtois (6/10):

Had to be on alert as Sevilla were able to push up and look like threatening the Madrid goal, but most of their shots were from distance. He will feel he could have done better to deny Lamela for the equaliser as it was a tough finish from the winger.

Dani Carvajal (5/10):

A weak performance from the right-back. He made some dodgy tackles and could have given away a penalty early on when he knocked Erik Lamela to the ground but got away with it. Offered little to Madrid's attack.

Eder Militao (7/10):

Another solid performance from the centre-back. He was instrumental in keeping Sevilla at a safe distance and ensuring they could not get into a good scoring position for most of the match.

David Alaba (6/10):

A decent performance from the Austrian, who held the line perfectly well with Militao and made some good passes throughout the match. Was eventually shifted to left-back when Antonio Rudiger came on.

Ferland Mendy (6/10):

Overall a decent performance from the left-back. He is always available in attack and even drifts inside to offer a central threat. Defensively not bad but he did put his side under pressure in the second half when he held on to the ball too long and let three Sevilla players swarm around him.

GettyMidfield

Luka Modric (8/10):

The Croatian veteran was one of the best on the field, not only for the goal he scored. His passing was good yet again and he helped Madrid threaten the visitors throughout.

Aurelien Tchouameni (7/10):

Another fine performance from the young midfielder before he was taken off just 20 minutes into the second half.

Toni Kroos (6/10):

A quiet performance from the German. Playing quite deep in midfield, his passes were accurate but rather ineffective.