Diomande Steals the Show as Vinicius Jr Fades Into the Background Against Sevilla

Real Madrid swept aside Sevilla with a commanding 4–1 triumph on Sunday, fueled by spectacular strikes from Arda Güler, Kylian Mbappé and Yan Diomande.

José Mourinho tore up the tactical manual for the La Liga encounter, fielding Endrick on the right wing, Federico Valverde at right back and Güler alongside Aurélien Tchouaméni in a midfield double pivot. Diomande also earned his starting berth, stepping in for the suspended Vinícius Júnior on the left flank.

The Portuguese tactician remained composed as he watched his bold selections deliver results. Güler bent a breathtaking left-footed effort over Sevilla goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos to hand the hosts a 1–0 advantage in the 30th minute.

Kylian Mbappé then left the Bernabéu crowd breathless after collecting a backheel from Jude Bellingham. The Frenchman executed a full 360-degree spin to shake off his first defender along the edge of the area, surged past another red shirt and used a deft touch to go around the keeper before slotting home in the 37th minute.

Mbappé extended the lead to 3–0 with a converted penalty after the break, but was forced to apologize to his defenders and goalkeeper after a costly turnover allowed Manu Bueno to pull one back for Sevilla. The mood quickly lifted when Diomande unleashed a thunderbolt to re-establish Real Madrid's three-goal cushion.

It was precisely the result Los Blancos required with El Clásico on the horizon next weekend.

Winners and Losers

Winners

The spotlight was firmly on Yan Diomande heading into Sunday's fixture. The young talent stepped into Vinícius Jr's left wing role and ensured his side felt no absence of the No. 7. Diomande impressed from the first whistle and had already registered an assist by the 30-minute mark. His pace and trickery tormented Sevilla's backline throughout, and he capped the evening with a deserved goal, bringing his tally to five goal contributions across his last five outings.

Arda Güler was a surprising omission from Mourinho's lineup midweek against Roma, yet he showed the manager precisely what he offers in the closing stages of that Champions League comeback. Just days later, the midfielder was restored to the starting XI and got on the scoresheet, bending home one of the finest goals of the campaign. The Türkiye international deserves a permanent place in the starting lineup going forward.

Losers

Vinícius Jr was reduced to a spectator on Sunday, serving the first match of his four-game suspension following the red card he received the previous weekend against Villarreal. As if the early stages of 2026–27 hadn't been difficult enough for the Brazilian, he was left to watch Diomande illuminate the left flank, appearing far more at ease in Mourinho's system than Vinícius Jr has managed all season.

Things have rarely gone to plan for Trent Alexander-Arnold since his move from Liverpool to Real Madrid last summer. The England international's debut season was disrupted by several lengthy injuries, and he now barely features in his second campaign. Already behind Denzel Dumfries in Mourinho's hierarchy, the fullback must now watch from the sidelines as Federico Valverde eats into his playing time as well.

Real Madrid Player Ratings vs. Sevilla (4-3-2-1)

*Ratings Provided by FotMob*

GK: Thibaut Courtois—7.4: Understandably furious after Mbappé surrendered possession in his own half, gifting Bueno the chance to deny him the clean sheet he had earned.

RB: Federico Valverde—7.3: Could only laugh when Mbappé inadvertently blocked his goal-bound effort. Once again looked more natural and influential at right back than in a midfield role. Produced a crucial block in front of Courtois just before the hour mark.

CB: Ibrahima Konaté—7.1: Far more assured with Huijsen back beside him rather than Rüdiger. Went about his business quietly, a welcome change after some midweek turbulence.

CB: Dean Huijsen—7.5: Found himself at the heart of a fiery confrontation between the two sides, but escaped with only a yellow card. Performed as though he was aware Militão could come to challenge his position in the near future.

LB: Marc Cucurella—7.2: Combined effectively with Diomande and was dependable at the back. Not quite at his peak, but more than sufficient against a struggling Sevilla outfit.

DM: Arda Güler—8.6: Netted his second goal of the season in stunning style. Very few players on the planet can bend a strike the way the Türkiye international can, and he somehow avoided punishment after a stray elbow caught Peque Fernández.

DM: Aurélien Tchouaméni—8.2: Performed significantly better with Güler alongside him. Won four tackles, contributed an assist and misplaced only five passes. Still beaten on the dribble a little too often, however.

RW: Endrick—6.5: Lively when given room on the ball. Skipped past defenders down the right side, but his delivery and finishing left room for improvement.

AM: Jude Bellingham—8.1: Picked out Diomande with a superb trivela ball in the build-up to the opening goal. Then outdid himself with a backheel assist for Mbappé's strike.

LW: Yan Diomande—8.8: Unselfishly squared the ball to Güler to register his third consecutive goal contribution. His vision and passing were evident in the build-up to the second goal and Mbappé's penalty. Rounded off an outstanding evening with a brilliant finish.

ST: Kylian Mbappé—9.0: Shrugged off a couple of glaring misses before producing his finest goal of the season in the first half. Added his brace from the spot after the break with a cheeky panenka. Gifted the opposition a goal with a careless loss of possession.

SUB: Brahim Díaz (70' for Endrick)—5.8: Found it difficult to make an impact. Failed to register a single shot on goal.

SUB: Bernardo Silva (70' for Bellingham)—6.2: Demonstrated his passing quality.

SUB: Eduardo Camavinga (78' for Güler)—6.4: Fulfilled his role without any notable errors.

SUB: Carlos Espí (85' for Mbappé)—N/A

SUB: Éder Militão (85' for Güler)—N/A

Subs not used: Andriy Lunin (GK), Javi Navarro (GK), Álvaro Carerras, Antonio Rüdiger, Denzel Dumfries, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Thiago Pitarch.

What the Ratings Tell Us

The Numbers That Explain Real Madrid's Comfortable Win