Real Madrid Player Ratings from the 2-0 win vs. Celta Vigo

Real Madrid played well against an in-form Celta Vigo to go top of the table, at least temporarily.

Real Madrid bounced back from their midweek stalemate disappointment to grab their more valuable points, defeating an in-form Celta Vigo side 2-0, a team that was 8th on the league table going into this match and was scoring goals for fun. This win takes Real Madrid to the top of the table at 36 points, one more than Atletico Madrid, who have three games in hand.

Marco Asensio grabbed his first goal of the season, ending his dry run in front of goal, while also setting up the team’s first for the relentless Lucas Vazquez. It was a comfortable game for the team as they put on a great defensive performance.

The full player ratings can be found below:

Thibaut Courtois – 6.5

Another clean sheet for the Belgian, but he wasn’t troubled by the Celta forwards. Didn’t have to do much being in goal to warrant a higher rating as the clean sheet could be credited to the brilliant performances by the four players at the back.

Dani Carvajal – 7.25

Another routine performance from the right-back who has been in very good form. Was brave as always in bombing forward and very solid in defence as well. Finished the game with two dribbles, a tackle, one interception, and three clearances.

Raphaël Varane – 8

An impressive outing from the Frenchman after the wobbly performance against Elche. Varane did very well in the absence of regular partner Sergio Ramos. Completed 85.3% of his passes and finished the game with a team-high eight clearances. Considering the way Varane’s season has gone so far, to have a neat performance against an in-form team can be considered a positive.

Nacho – 9.5

Man of the match for me in my opinion. Nacho put in a defensive masterclass yesterday, and apart from the yellow card he received in the first half, he had a flawless performance. He dominated the Celta forward and didn’t let them have a sniff at Real Madrid’s goal. Had two big goal-saving moments in the game – the first a clearance as the last man, clearing Iago Aspas’ inaccurate connection, and the other blocking a shot in the second half that was destined to hit the back of the net.

Ferland Mendy – 6

He has benched club legend Marcelo. Sure. But he still leaves a lot more to be desired with his performances. There’s no denying his defensive impact, but he just takes a lot of time on the ball and then cannot handle the incoming pressure, giving the ball away needlessly in the team’s own half. Mendy will have to be careful as one day, some team will punish Real Madrid for Mendy’s frailties just like teams capitalized on Marcelo’s drawbacks.

Casemiro – 8

A fantastic performance by the big Brazilian. He is once again become the indispensable piece of Real Madrid’s midfield. He stayed right in front of the team’s back-four, acting as a pivot and forming a back-five or back six when the team was defending in transition. Had a game-high four tackles, three interceptions, and two clearances.

Luka Modrić – 7.75

Just another day at the office for the ageless Croatian, who glided past players without any hassle. It’s getting increasingly more difficult to believe what he is doing at this age. He intercepted the ball that led to the team’s second goal. Finished the game with a dribble and completed 92.9% of his passes.

Toni Kroos –  7.75

The midfield metronome continues his fine form. As usual, he had the highest pass completion rate (93.8%) and the most touches (64), while also completing 100% of his long balls (7 out of 7). Everything flows through Kroos’ feet, and he was as composed as ever in possession.

Lucas Vázquez – 9

The Spaniard continues to impress as he started his 16th game in a row. He dropped back in transition to form a back-five and was a constant outlet in attack. Scored the team’s opening goal and assisted the second for Marco Asensio. Completed with three key passes (team-high). He has been in terrific form and he is proving that he can be a starter at Real Madrid.

Marco Asensio – 9

Asensio is back! He finally bags his first goal of the season to cap off another fine display in attack. He assisted Vázquez’s goal and was a menace down the left wing, making incisive runs and taking on his defenders with the same confidence he showed three years ago. This is a significant moment for Asensio in this season as Hazard’s return could mean he could go back to the right wing, and with the current confidence, he can do wonders there too.

Karim Benzema – 6.5

He was unlucky not to have a goal as two of his left-footed attempts could have resulted in fabulous finishes. Although his link-up play was not that bad, he was not as involved as he would have liked.

Substitutes

Eden Hazard – N/A

Didn’t get too involved and wasn’t given as much time to make an impact.

Fede Valverde – N/A

Came on in the 84th minute and had nothing much to do.

Martin Ødegaard – N/A

A few good passing moves but nothing more than that as he too came on in the 84th minute.