Real Madrid Player Ratings for October: Vinicius Junior in a class of his own
The month of October is in the books, and Real Madrid did a great job of bouncing back from some setbacks in this telling run of fixtures. They began the month with an embarrassing 2-1 loss to Espanyol, which was on the heels of a loss to Sherrif and a poor showing in LaLiga the previous weekend against Villarreal.
But Real returned in style after the October international fixtures, with a healthy Ferland Mendy and Toni Kroos making all the difference in a 5-0 blowout over Shakhtar Donetsk. Real then won El Clasico and rectified a 0-0 draw with Osasuna by beating Elche this past weekend.
The fixtures will get tougher as the Fall rolls on, and LaLiga is definitely competitive with Real Sociedad and Sevilla mounting serious title challenges to make up for Barcelona’s downturn.
Let’s take a look back at the month of October and hand out some player ratings for Real Madrid’s protagonists.
GK Thibaut Courtois
Overall, it was another solid month between the sticks for Thibaut Courtois. He didn’t have much to do in most of the matches and could not be faulted for any of the goals Real Madrid conceded. His standout performance was against Shakhtar, as he made a splendid save late in the match to preserve his clean sheet.
Rating: 6.5
LB Ferland Mendy
Ferland Mendy was one of the most important players of the month of October. He immediately changed the team’s fortunes, winning important tackles in the defensive third within the first 10 minutes of an eventual blowout over Shakhtar. You know, the team Los Blancos lost to twice in the 2020-2021 Champions League campaign.
Mendy was also solid defensively in El Clasico, aside from one occasion when Sergino Dest got the better of him. It’s wonderful to have him back.
Rating: 7.5
LB Marcelo
Marcelo came off the bench against Osasuna and wasn’t bad, though Real Madrid failed to find a breakthrough. He did not fair much better in a surprise starter against Elche, completing under 75 percent of his passes. Defensively, Marcelo was as much of a liability as usual. Carlo Ancelotti cannot prefer him to Miguel Gutierrez.
Rating: 5.0
CB David Alaba
David Alaba was another major standout in the month of October, and this is the second straight month in which he has been one of Real Madrid’s best players. He is truly a commanding presence at the back, protecting both Madrid’s goal and his teammates. Alaba can produce moments of magic in the attack, too, as evidenced by his passing and his thunderous go-ahead goal in El Clasico. Madridistas could not be happier with how this signing has turned out.
Rating: 8.0
CB Eder Militao
If the theme of October was bouncing back, then Eder Militao embodied it. After an off night against Espanyol to start the month, the Brazilian center back went on a tear, even upping his strong form from the month of September.
Militao was arguably the best player on the pitch for Los Blancos in the clean sheet draw with Osasuna, and then he delivered a true masterclass in central defense against Elche. Vinicius Junior found the back of the net twice, but Militao was so brilliant defensively that he may have been the Man of the Match. He and Alaba are truly a wonderful complement.
Rating: 7.5
CB Nacho Fernandez
Nacho Fernandez was woeful the previous month, and he started October with a real stinker in central defense against Espanyol. Ancelotti has not started him since, and Real Madrid are better off for it. His stock has truly fallen.
Rating: 3.0
RB Lucas Vazquez
The Galician started four matches at right back for Real Madrid, and aside from a rough night against a familiar club in Espanyol, he acquitted himself well. Vazquez was one of the heroes of El Clasico, scoring a late goal through sheer determination that ended up being the winner, seeing how Sergio Aguero scored moments later to make it 2-1. He was also solid in the 5-0 win over Shakhtar, which was an opponent he struggled with last season.
Rating: 6.5
RB Dani Carvajal
Dani Carvajal looked off against Osasuna. He is not 100 percent yet. When he is, Los Blancos will be a much better team.
Rating: 5.0