Real Madrid Player Ratings: Vinicius, Alaba shine in 2-1 win at Barcelona

RW Rodrygo Goes

Rodrygo had a good game. Not his best, by any means, but certainly one of his important ones. He wasn’t really involved in the attack apart from his inch-perfect pass to David Alaba for the first goal, but he was really, really important on the other side of the field. Ancelotti’s (correct) decision to start Rodrygo and have him support Vazquez whenever Jordi Alba provides overloads, and otherwise as well, was a great decision. He did some good defending, and was one of the reasons why he was picked over Fede Valverde and Eden Hazard.

Rating: 6.5/10

CF Karim Benzema

Benzema had a very quiet first half, and you don’t hear this many times. But yes, this game was one of his weaker performances. He did improve in the second half by being involved in the attack more, dribbling past defenders in tight spaces and keeping possession of the ball, and also setting Vinicius free on a bunch of occasions. He ended the game with two key passes and a chance that he could’ve probably finished. I’m talking about the one where Modric flicks the ball towards him, and he takes a shot straight at Marc-Andre Ter Stegen. It was really uncharacteristic, as on any other day, he probably would’ve scored. That’s about it, really.

I was expecting him to have a great game, especially considering how it’s his final game before the Ballon d’Or voting ends, so I was in the assumption that he’d play with a chip on his shoulder to make the most of it. Couple it with the fact that Barcelona have a very weak defense right now, he should’ve done better.

Rating: 6.5/10

LW Vinicius Jr

Vinicius’ streak of brilliant performances continues here as well. He was once again instrumental in making sure that Real Madrid get the win. He troubled the Barcelona defense a little too much, especially in the first half, and was exceptional with the ball. He didn’t register a goal or an assist, but played an important role in the first goal. He was the one that played the cross field switch to Rodrygo while being off-balance. It was the right decision, and he did it right after using his blistering pace to get past a couple of Barcelona players.

His influence waned down a little bit in the second half, and Dest did a good job of keeping him in check when he switched to a more defensive position, but Vinicius did what he had to do. He was great, and he will keep being great for years to come. This game is a great example of how much he has grown as a footballer.

Rating: 8.5/10