Real Madrid: Player Ratings from the 1-1 draw away at Villareal

Real Madrid player ratings as they traveled to Villareal and only managed to claim one point following a 1-1 draw against the Yellow Submarines.

Real Madrid put in a fantastic first-half display but ultimately failed to play at the same level in the second to maintain their 0-1 lead. Mariano’s first-half goal got canceled out, but Gerard Moreno’s penalty in the second half.

Zinedine Zidane did not have a full set of players to pick from and decided to start Eden Hazard, Mariano Diaz, and Lucas Vazquez as his front three. Nacho partnered with Raphael Varane in the absence of both Sergio Ramos and Eder Militao. Dani Carvajal and Martin Odegaard were both back in action after some time off due to injury.

Here is how the Real Madrid players performed.

Manager

Zinedine Zidane – 6.5/10

Zidane had a difficult task at hand with numerous players out with injury. He sent his team out with the right attitude, and Real Madrid took the lead early on. However, the Frenchman was not able to change the tide of the game in the second half. Villareal pinned Los Blancos, and Zidane’s men struggled with fatigue.

Players

Thibaut Courtois – 5.5/10

Thibaut Courtois did not have much to do throughout the game. He looked confident with the ball on his feet and covered his space well. However, he did give away the penalty that led to Villareal’s equalizer.

Dani Carvajal – 7/10

Having Dani Carvajal back in the team helped to solidify Los Blancos’ defense immensely. He did brilliantly create for the first goal. The Real Madrid right-back also contributed with two tackles won and three clearances.

Raphael Varane – 7/10

Raphael Varane did well in the absence of Sergio Ramos to lead Real Madrid’s backline. He stepped up to the plate with two interceptions and four clearances.

Nacho – 7/10

Nacho partnered Varane in the middle of Los Blancos’ defense and did a commendable job. He took care of everything that came his way. The Spaniard ended the match with three interceptions and two vital blocks.

Ferland Mendy – 7/10

Ferland Mendy continued to showcase his importance to Real Madrid. The left-back had a solid game in the back and did not let anything get past him. He also completed two dribbles and a key pass.

Toni Kroos – 7/10

Toni Kroos was impeccable in the first half. He put on one of his best 45 minutes in a Real Madrid shirt. However, his second half was not at the same level, and the Merengues struggled for it. Still, the German Midfielder had an overall good match.

Luka Modric – 7/10

Luka Modric had a couple of poor touches and passes in the first half but turned things around in the second. He got Real Madrid out of tight spaces and completed three dribbles.

Martin Odegaard – 6/10

Martin Odegaard did some basics right but did not light up the game. He got replaced by Isco in the 64th minute.

Lucas Vazquez – 6.5/10

Lucas Vazquez worked hard as a two-way winger, but his offensive output was not up to the mark. His final ball lacked precision and did not provide any threat.

Eden Hazard – 6.5/10

Eden Hazard was back in action after missing the game against Valencia because of Covid-19. He eased back into his play, and he was the most fouled player in the match.

Mariano Diaz – 7/10

Mariano scored the only goal of the game for Real Madrid. He worked hard and got involved as much as possible.

Substitutions

Isco – 5.5/10

Isco replaced Odegaard and positioned himself well to be an outlet for Real Madrid to get out of trouble. However, his offensive presence lacked sharpness, and the former Malaga man will have to do a lot more when given a chance to stake his claim as a regular in Zidane’s eleven.

Vinicius Junior – 5.5/10

Vinicius attempted to take on his markers, but he was only successful once. The Brazillian did not offer much other than that.

Marco Asensio – N/A

Asensio entered the match with only five minutes left on the clock. He did not have enough time to make an impact.