Player ratings from Real Madrid’s 2-1 win against Eibar
Real Madrid once again dug themselves into a hole but were miraculously saved by Cristiano Ronaldo. The Royal Whites continue to sit in third place and will now be looking to chase city rivals Atletico Madrid. Here are your player ratings from the match.
After coming off a spectacular win in their mid-week fixture against Paris Saint-Germain, Los Blancos returned their attention to La Liga. Eibar came out strong against Real and was not reluctant to attack against the Whites. Real Madrid often struggled to contain the attack of Eibar as they tried to take a commanding lead. Fortunately, Ronaldo and company were able to pull through and grab all three points. Here’s a look at the starting lineup and the player writings from the match.
📝 Here it is - our starting line-up for this afternoon's match against @SDEibar! VAMOS!#RMMovistar | #RMLiga pic.twitter.com/9ieTckOtpI
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) March 10, 2018
Defence
Keylor Navas – 8
Keylor had to do with waves attack from Eibar over the course of the game and did a great job and ensuring his team still has a chance. The lone goal from Eibar was hard on Navas as the defence of Madrid did poorly to take care of it.
Dani Carvajal – 9
Dani had a wonderful game against Eibar as he single-handedly controlled the right flank. Carvajal lead his team with three interceptions and chipped in with seven clearances. The Spaniard served up the game-winning assist to Cristiano Ronaldo through an inch-perfect cross.
Raphael Varane – 6
The Frenchman was subbed off early in the match after suffering an apparent head injury and was replaced by Nacho. On his time on the pitch, though he did well to fill in the gaps and protect his side adding four clearances.
Sergio Ramos – 6.5
Surely wasn’t Ramos’ greatest performance with poor positioning on multiple occasions. While his last-ditch defending resulted in 10 clearances his poor man marking lead to Eibars goal. The Capitan will be looking to make amends next week in La Liga.
Marcelo – 7
With Eibar’s constant press and pressure in Madrid’s defensive end the Brazilian found it difficult both offensively and defensively. Marcelo was kept busy through the match and did not have the space he would have liked to move forward and into the attack.
Midfield
Luka Modric – 9
Luka was one of Madrid’s best players on the night. Despite just coming back from injury, Modric slotted in seamlessly. Modric assisted Ronaldo for the first goal and nearly bagged one of his own. It’s great to see Modric bounce back from injury without missing a beat, because he will be important for this team’s remaining ambitions this season.
Casemiro – 6.5
Casemiro was not nearly as imperious against Eibar as he was against PSG earlier in the week. He often times looked unstable and took on a lot of pressure from his opponents. Casemiro did all he could as Zidane’s substitutions became more attack focused.
Toni Kroos – 6
Toni still looks to be shaking off the rust after his injury as he struggled to get into a rhythm. His unusual inefficiency showed as he passed with just an 83% accuracy. With just his second appearance back it is understandable though.
Isco – 6
Isco did very little to help his side this past weekend. He looked lethargic and lazy on the ball and did little to create for his side. The Isco from the first-half the season is missing, let’s hope he comes back and can silence the critics.
Attack
Cristiano Ronaldo – 9.5
What else but excellence from the Portuguese man. Ronaldo stepped up on both occasions with authority to take control of the game and ensuring his team’s success. His first goal was a great showcase of technical skill after bringing the ball down off his chest and to then fire it past the goalkeeper. Ronaldo saved his teams blushes after finishing off a sweet cross from Dani Carvajal.
Gareth Bale – 7
Though Bale did not have a highlight performance he made up for it with great hustle. He created some chances for Ronaldo on the attack but unfortunately did not beat the keeper. One can only hope the Welshman continues to get minutes to show make use of that massive paycheck.
Substitutes
Nacho – 7.5
Nacho is not the conventional substitute for Zidane, but after Varane suffered an injury the defenceman was called upon. With little time to warm up and get his mindset right, Nacho did a great job to fill in. He had three tackles and five clearances on the night.
Lucas Vazquez – 7
With the addition of Lucas into the game, Madrid’s formation changed to a 4-4-2. This allowed them to increase their presence in attack through the flanks and control possession. Vazquez did well to suppress Eibar’s attack while putting crosses into the box.
Next: 3 takeaways - Eibar vs Real Madrid
Karim Benzema – 7
Karim presence changed the dynamic of Madrid’s attack playing alongside Cristiano. He helped build the play as he dropped deep and created space off the ball for Ronaldo to move into.