Real Madrid Player Ratings: Vinicius Junior dazzles in 5-0 win over Shakhtar
LW Vinicius Junior
Vinicius Junior is having the season of his career. He was untouchable again today against Shakhtar, scoring twice. The first was a cool finish from one of the best passes you’ll see in these group stages (by none other than Luka Modric). And the second was even better, as Vini recreated Cristiano Ronaldo’s goal against Galatasaray, hitting some stepovers to leave a defender dead in the box, mazing around another, and finishing emphatically with his left. He wasn’t done there either, as he had a great assist of his own to fellow winger Rodrygo Goes.
Rating: 9.5
CF Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema worked his tail off in this 5-0 win, as he always does. The first Vinicius goal was the result of his ball-winning, as Benzema pressed at the exact right time, seeing the throw-in from Shakhtar was off. At first, it didn’t seem like his efforts would be rewarded on the scoresheet, but after holding his movement at the exact right time, Benz was in a spot to easily convert an inch-perfect cross from super-sub Marco Asensio.
Rating: 8.0
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RW Rodrygo Goes
Rodrygo Goes needs to get better at anticipating his teammate’s decisions in the box and cutting inside on his left foot, since he’s basically never going to start in his preferred left-sided winger role. But that said, his technical quality and work rate make up for the areas he is still working on. Rodrygo played well on both ends of the pitch and took his chance well, clinically depositing his second goal of the Champions League, which is basically his showcase competition.
Rating: 7.5