Real Madrid: Top 3 performances from comeback against Monchengladbach

Real Madrid fell behind 2-0 after an hour of play, but they came back to win their first point of the 2020-2021 Champions League campaign.

Although Real Madrid will have to do better than this if they want to play to their standard in the Champions League, there were some bright spots in their second-round group stage fixture against Borussia Monchengladbach.

Luka Modric and Eden Hazard came off the bench when Real were down 2-0 and helped transform the game for Los Blancos.

Here were the top three individual performances from the 2-2 draw at the Borussia-Park.

DM Casemiro

It all starts with Casemiro, who scored the winning goal after providing the assist for Karim Benzema that gave Real Madrid their first real glimmer of hope.

As always, Casemiro worked hard defensively all game, winning the ball in the attacking half and tracking back defensively to make stops. His tackle on Cristoph Kramer in the penalty box helped save the game before the comeback, as he spared Los Merengues the embarrassment of having conceded a solo goal to the defensive-minded midfielder.

Casemiro’s goal was a poacher’s finish at a crucial time, but his assist was even more impressive. He saved an errant cross from going out of bounds and had the presence of mind to head the ball to Benzema, who was in the right place to finish.

The Brazilian finished the game with three fouls drawn and a whopping four interceptions, according to WhoScored.com.

CM Fede Valverde

Real Madrid center midfielder Fede Valverde has been one of the team’s top performers throughout the season, and the match against Borussia Monchengladbach was no exception. He worked hard all over the field to win possession and start attacks, winning two tackles and setting up a pair of key passes. He also had two fouls drawn and three dribbles completed.

Valverde shows up in big games, even when some of his teammates don’t. With each passing week, he earns more trust from the fanbase and from the team.

CB Sergio Ramos

Once again, Sergio Ramos came up big when his team needed him. He could not be faulted for either goal, and he was the only center back who didn’t make any significant errors against Alassane Plea and Marcus Thuram, whose efficiency caused all sorts of issues for Los Blancos.

Ramos led the team with a whopping 116 passes, completing just over nine of them. He had nine completed long balls in 12 attempts.

And of course, Ramos had the winning assist for Casemiro. Like the defensive midfielder, he set up his teammate with a header to score a crucial goal in the 2-2 comeback.

Ramos’ composure and clutchness were necessary for Real Madrid. They would not have gotten a result at the Borussia-Park without the captain, whose importance in the Champions League remains a key storyline in 2020.