Real Madrid Player Ratings from an embarrassing 2-1 loss at Espanyol

I actually don’t get what was going on inside Carlo Ancelotti’s head when he was selecting the line-up for this game. There were so many tactical loopholes going into the game, and it only made sense from a defensive flexibility standpoint, and that too, only on paper. There’s a reason why managers don’t play formations like this. Real Madrid lost 2-1 to Espanyol at the RCD Stadium on Sunday afternoon.  Goals from former Castilla product Raul De Tomas and former Barcelona player Aleix Vidal sealed Real Madrid’s fate, who couldn’t do enough despite a late spark in the form of Karim Benzema.

It’s tough to decipher the gameplan for this match, but one thing is for sure; it sure as hell went out of the window from the very first minute. This resulted in a lot of players just not being up to the mark. Ancelotti’s experimenting too much, and the team is suffering because of it, among other things.

How did the players perform individually?

GK Thibaut Courtois

Standard Thibaut Courtois game. Made a few saves to make sure that Real Madrid didn’t suffer a humiliation. He didn’t really have a lot to do other than that and the two goals that were conceded. The first goal was a near post finish from De Tomas. One could argue that it was saveable, but to be honest, there’s not a lot Courtois could’ve done. The shot was excellent and well placed, Courtois had little chance of saving it even though he was close to it. The second goal was also not his fault. His large frame also resulted in a very easy chance going to waste for Espanyol.

Rating: 6/10