Real Madrid Player Ratings from 1-1 UWCL draw with Manchester City

Just when it seemed that Real Madrid Femenino would head into the second leg with a one-goal deficit, Kenti Robles smashed a half-volley that almost hit the post. The right-back had equalized in stoppage time, and deservingly so for all the effort that the team put in against the English heavyweights

.Real Madrid Femenino marked their UEFA Champions League debut with a gripping 1-1 tie against Manchester City Women in the 1st leg of the group stage qualifier.

The visitors were without the services of key first-team components Lucy Bronze, Keira Walsh, and Ellen White, yet they were the team that started out strongly, forcing Misa to produce three excellent saves in the first half.

Real Madrid Femenino gradually grew into the game and started seeing more of the ball. Debutant Esther González had plenty of golden opportunities to break the deadlock, only for some questionable finishing to prevent it from happening. A foul on Ivana Andrés late in the second half in the Real Madrid Femenino was a reward for how much the side were knocking on the door, but Esther shot the penalty kick over the crossbar.

Ivana Andres leads by example for Real Madrid

City had a dream start to the second half. Babett Peter’s miscued clearance fell straight at the legs of Caroline Weir, who smashed the ball into the bottom left corner to Real Madrid Femenino’s dismay. A cross from Olga Carmona found Esther in the box, but her header kissed the crossbar out for a goal kick.

With time running out, the team somehow mustered one last attack, which resulted in a wonderful finish from Kenti Robles.

Here are the player ratings from the game:

Misa Rodríguez (8/10): Misa demonstrated her best form, picking up where she left off last season. Three brilliant saves in the first half kept the team in the game.

Kenti Robles (8/10): Got the stoppage-time equalizer to save Real Madrid the blushes. Linked well with Athenea del Castillo down the right flank and was decent defensively.

Ivana Andrés (8.5/10): A magnificent shift from the captain. She thwarted a lot of attacks with her exceptional reading of the game, stepping out of her defensive line on multiple occasions with such precision. One such defensive action led to Real Madrid’s first shot.

Babett Peter (6.5/10): Looked shaky at times and her failed clearance led to City’s opener. She seemed to be off the pace.

Lucía Rodríguez (6/10): Didn’t contribute as much offensively due to the presence of Olga Carmona on the left flank, but was really good with her pressing. A decent debut overall.

Athenea del Castillo (8/10): What a debut it was for the 20-year old. She justified all that hype and buzz with a fantastic performance on the right flank. It was her dummy that led to the stoppage-time equalizer. Real Madrid Femenino have got a real superstar in their ranks!

Teresa Abelleira (5.5/10): Not a very encouraging performance from the Spaniard, who simply couldn’t find her footing during the game, although it can be attributed to the fact that she doesn’t prefer playing in a two-woman midfield.

Aurélie Kaci (5.5/10): Lost possession on multiple occasions due to an unusually heavy first touch. As with Teresa, she couldn’t impose herself in a midfield, which resulted in the team losing the midfield battle.

Olga Carmona (6/10): The left-winger didn’t have a very good first half (although she did nutmeg her opponent). She did use her pace to progress the ball higher up the pitch but wasn’t lethal. The second half saw an uptick.

Nahikari García (5/10): The Spaniard was anonymous on her debut. Starting in a front two alongside Esther González, she did little to complement her strike partner. However, she played her part by cleverly letting the ball pass through her feet for Kenti Robles’ goal. She will perform better in the coming games, that’s for sure.

Esther González (6/10): A promising, if not sensational, debut from Real Madrid Femenino’s new #10. I used the word “sensational” because the only difference was her finishing. She did everything right, from her off-the-ball movements to her positioning to her pressing, but simply couldn’t find the back of the net.

Substitutes

Claudia Zornoza (5.5/10): Another summer signing that made her debut, albeit as a substitute. The central midfielder replaced Olga in the 72nd minute but couldn’t dictate the tempo during the cameo.

Caroline Møller Bohn (NA): Replaced Teresa Abelleira in the 86th minute.