Real Madrid needed a result against Barcelona on Saturday afternoon, and they came away with all three points in a gutsy display.
After losing to both Cadiz and Shakhtar Donetsk, Real Madrid and manager Zinedine Zidane had every question to answer against Barcelona at the Camp Nou. Although La Blaugrana threatened Real’s goal frequently, Los Blancos came away with a well-deserved 3-1 win, icing the game late in the second half.
Everyone played a role in the result, whether it was Toni Kroos commanding the midfield or Lucas Vazquez changing the game as a substitute at right back.
Here were the top five individual performances from the victory.
Real Madrid RB Lucas Vazquez
Let’s start with the backup right back in this game, Lucas Vazquez. Nacho Fernandez started the match but was subbed off in the first half, possibly with an injury.
But as it turned out, Vazquez was the change Real Madrid needed. The right winger played the game of his life at the unnatural position, looking like a top-notch fullback defensively against an excellent Barcelona attack, featuring goal-scorer Ansu Fati.
Vazquez worked hard all game long and even created chances in attack, as he probably should have had an assist if the finishing were better.
Not only did Vazquez have two key passes, but he added four tackles and three interceptions in a colossal defensive performance for Los Blancos. What a way to bounce back from what happened last weekend vs. Cadiz.
Real Madrid CM Toni Kroos
One of the best midfielders in the world, Toni Kroos is so satisfying to watch, and he was at his cool-headed best against La Blaugrana. The German international barely misplaced any passes and kept the Real Madrid engine running smoothly with his vision, passing, and willingness to find open pockets of space to keep the ball moving for his teammates.
Kroos plays chess on the football pitch with the opposition, and Barcelona just could not cope with his tactical awareness. He had two shots on target, two fouls drawn, and, of course, five key passes, according to WhoScored.com. Coming into this game, Kroos led the team with 3.3 key passes per match in La Liga, so his average has gone up even further after El Clasico.
Defensively, Kroos showed why he isn’t a liability in that facet of the game when pushing high up the pitch from the left midfield spot with Ferland Mendy supporting him from behind. The 30-year-old tied Lucas Vazquez with four tackles to lead the way for Los Blancos.
Consistent from start to finish, Kroos was instrumental in Real’s victory and came close to scoring and assisting on multiple occasions. He remains one of the world’s best, week after week, year after year.
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.
Real Madrid CM Fede Valverde
Real Madrid center midfielder Fede Valverde left the game just before the 70th minute after having given his all in yet another big match. Valverde, despite being under the age of 23, seems to have his best performances in the biggest matches. He was the Man of the Match in a Clasico last season and the Man of the Match in the Derbi win in the Spanish Supercup Final.
Valverde was one of the Men of the Match on Saturday afternoon at the Camp Nou, running Barcelona ragged. For a third straight game, Valverde impressed fans of Los Merengues by bossing the highly-priced – and, yes, very talented – Frenkie de Jong for a third straight Clasico.
The young Uruguayan drew a couple of fouls, scored the opening goal with a Robert Lewandowski-esque finish into the far corner by using the curve of his foot expertly from a wide-right shot, and played well defensively with two tackles and two interceptions.
Valverde’s all-around game is sometimes easy to miss amidst all the praise for his running and athleticism, but his technical quality is lovely to see. This is a midfielder who can be a good secondary goal-scorer for Real Madrid one day. He does a lot box-to-box, but he also does a lot in the opposition’s box.
Real Madrid CB Sergio Ramos
And how could this top five list be complete without the captain, Sergio Ramos? Quite literally perfect from the penalty spot in his career, the Real Madrid superstar added another to his tally by calmly dispatching the ball past Neto into the bottom left corner. And better yet, Ramos was the one who won the penalty, forcing a head-scratching shirt-pull foul from a frightened Clement Lenglet in the penalty box.
Ramos was missed badly in the Champions League, yet again, vs. Shakhtar Donetsk, and we knew he would be decisive in El Clasico. The man didn’t disappoint in this all-important clash at the Camp Nou, making decisive clearances and interventions to go with the penalty goal.
In total, Ramos had three tackles, three interceptions, four clearances, and a blocked shot in a complete, commanding performance. He even had three shots on target and showed off his passing accuracy with nearly 95 percent of his attempts completed.
There’s nothing Sergio Ramos can’t do. The Real Madrid captain is a more complete player at center back than many strikers or midfielders, which is a testament to his tactical maturity and his technique. And Ramos’ leadership counts for more than anything else to Los Blancos. He is the man without a price.