Real Madrid came into Matchday 3 of the UEFA Champions League with revenge on their minds, having lost to Shakhtar Donetsk twice in last year’s Champions League campaign. Los Blancos were also coming off defeats to Sheriff and Espanyol before the international fixtures, so Carlo Ancelotti and his players had all the motivation in the world to get back on track on Tuesday night.
They did exactly that. Real Madrid had a healthy Toni Kroos, a rested Casemiro and Luka Modric joining him in midfield, and a returning Ferland Mendy. With a 4-3-3 and their usual tactical setup, Real were in their element, exacting revenge to the tune of a 5-0 victory.
Here are the player ratings.
GK Thibaut Courtois
Call it another clean sheet for Thibaut Courtois, who has been undermined by defensive errors all season long. In this game, Courtois only had to deal with about a trio of defensive breakdowns, and he stood tall each time he was threatened. Courtois made a few great saves and one vital interception just outside his box. One of those saves preserved the clean sheet very late in the match, immediately after Real had scored their fifth goal. Courtois continues to state his case for being the best keeper in the world.
Rating: 8.0
LB Ferland Mendy
Ferland Mendy reminded Real Madrid fans what they were missing for months. The best defensive fullback on the planet put on a masterclass. In just the first 10 minutes, he made his presence felt, winning the ball in his own defensive third on multiple occasions. Mendy provided width in attack, stability in defense, and an astute reading of the game. He was subbed off before the 70th-minute mark with Real up 4-0. Welcome back!
Rating: 8.5
CB David Alaba
I can’t stop making this observation. David Alaba is one of the most aware defenders you will see. The new leader of the back line, Alaba did not put a foot wrong defensively and is often there to cut out danger before it has the slightest chance of happening. He and Mendy can have quite the partnership on the left side of the defense. The 29-year-old finished the match with a team-high 89 passes, completing about 98 percent of them!
Rating: 8.0
CB Eder Militao
Eder Militao led the way with two tackles and three interceptions, joining Casemiro with a blocked shot. He had one mistake where he tried to dribble past a player one-on-one who was facing him head-on in his own penalty box, but that did not prove costly to Real Madrid. In the end, this was another solid defensive performance from a high-quality young central defender.
Rating: 7.5
RB Lucas Vazquez
Though Lucas Vazquez made the biggest mistake of the afternoon by ball-watching and failing to track a runner, which exposed Thibaut Courtois to a clear shot on goal, the makeshift right back quietly had another good game. He was a huge threat in supporting attacks, providing the cross that led to the own goal to open things up. Vazquez had two key passes and two fouls drawn on the night for Real Madrid.
Rating: 7.0
CM Toni Kroos
Toni Kroos’ return to the lineup already occurred, but this felt more like his true return, since he was healthier after missing a significant period of time with pubalgia. Contrary to one uninformed Twitter expert, Kroos is indeed a major key to Real Madrid, and he showed it against Shakhtar. Los Blancos were in command for the first time all season long. Kroos was not the only reason for that, but he was definitely at the heart of it. Call him a conductor or the metronome himself, it doesn’t matter. Everyone will know what you mean.
Rating: 8.5
DM Casemiro
Casemiro was under a microscope after a nightmarish start to the 2021-2022 season, but most people understood his struggles were due to a combination of fatigue, fitness in the other midfielders, and overall defensive scheme. With all those ingredients back in place, Casemiro shined as he usually does. He played a perfect game defensively and was markedly better offensively. Per WhoScored.com, the Brazilian completed nearly 94 percent of his passes, including one flick that actually came off.
Rating: 8.0
CM Luka Modric
Luka Modric plays his best football when the other two members of the midfield trio are at their best, and the same can be said from the perspectives of Toni Kroos and Casemiro, too. The Croatian magician waved his magic wand and hit Vinicius with a delightful assist that left Shakhtar’s defense dumbfounded. Modric’s ball-carrying and movement were crucial to aiding Rodrygo and Vini in finding pockets of space centrally in this tactical gameplan.
Rating: 8.0
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
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