Real Madrid: Top 5 performances from 3-1 win over Barcelona

Real Madrid LB Ferland Mendy

Real Madrid have arguably the best left back in the world in Ferland Mendy, and hopefully this stalwart performance against rivals FC Barcelona has boosted his stock even more. Unfortunately, most fans around the world pay closer attention to the Premier League and only watch La Liga on big occasions, so El Clasico was a big spot for Mendy to increase his global reputation.

The former Lyon man did exactly that. Any defender who went up against Mendy simply had no luck, as it is just about impossible to get past the left back. Opposing teams therefore know that their best chance is to attack down the right, because Mendy will yield nothing.

It’s easy to overlook Mendy’s defensive quality in this game, because the likes of Toni Kroos and Sergio Ramos are more established names who grab more headlines. But Mendy deserves a shout as a Man of the Match candidate, because he was sublime.

Mendy won two tackles, rarely misplaced a pass, and stayed cool defensively in a chaotic game. At 25, Mendy has the wisdom of a fullback with five more years on him. Offensively, the France international’s game continues to progress, and he won three dribbles in El Clasico to help support Vinicius Junior on the left-hand side.