Just like at the Anoeta this weekend, Real Madrid delivered a thoroughly professional display, defeating Inter Milan 2-0. Los Blancos entertaining the Santiago Bernabeu crowd with two worldies from Toni Kroos and Marco Asensio – both left-footed strikes with distinct techniques.
But the real standout of the night was, once again, center back Eder Militao, who continues to reach new heights defensively.
Here are the player ratings from Real Madrid’s win over Inter, which sealed their spot as the winners of their Champions League group.
GK Thibaut Courtois
A mercifully quiet display for the world-class goalkeeper. He deserved a break. Aside from a few claims, Thibaut Courtois had little to do. His goal was kept well-protected by the Madrid defense.
Rating: 6.5
LB Ferland Mendy
Ferland Mendy drew three fouls and completed 90.7 percent of his passes, working hard on the flank and getting the better of Denzel Dumfries. The French defender could still offer more offensively, but he always gets the job done in defense.
Rating: 7.0
CB David Alaba
This was another productive game for David Alaba, who was accurate with his passing and assured on the ball. He did not let much through defensively and continues to be a key source of leadership for this back four.
Rating: 7.0
CB Eder Militao
What more can be said about Eder Militao? After delivering a perfect 10 out of 10 over the weekend, the young center back came close to perfection again this Tuesday night at the Bernabeu. Militao made so many brilliant interventions, reading the game to a “T”. Inter could do nothing to get past him, whether they were playing through the air or on the ground. He is a tremendous recovery defender and always has his teammates’ backs. Militao had five interceptions, six clearances, and a pair of blocked shots.
Rating: 9.5
RB Dani Carvajal
Coming into this match, a lot of eyes were glued to Dani Carvajal to see if he could deliver a quality big-game performance to atone for last weekend’s issues vs. Sevilla. He did just that. Carvajal led the way with four key passes and had an assist. He was huge defensively with two blocked shots, playing more centrally to clog up the pitch. And Carvajal should have had a second assist that was more of a credit to his work, but Mariano Diaz was so surprised Carva caught up to the ball that the substituted striker tripped over the clear-cut chance.
Rating: 8.0
CM Toni Kroos
Toni Kroos is a man who earns many superlatives, and he has been on an absolute tear this season since recovering from an injury. After scoring a stunning goal in his last Champions League outing at Sheriff, Kroos scored an even better goal, smashing the ball into the bottom corner from range with his left foot. Kroos has been sharp from distance all season long, and other will be many more to come. And as usual, he was cool and collected in controlling the game, with Inter hopeless to stop him. Kroos completed 10 of 11 long balls and about 96 percent of his total passes. A typical performance from the 31-year-old!
Rating: 8.5
DM Casemiro
Casemiro received an ovation from the Santiago Bernabeu faithful upon being subbed, and hopefully he will be 100 percent for El Derbi this weekend after taking a hard hit. The Brazilian had three interceptions, a pair of clearances, and a blocked shot in another commanding defensive performance. And he made a slick dummy move that led to Kroos’ wonder-strike from distance. When Casemiro plays well, so does the team.
Rating: 7.5
CM Luka Modric
While Luka Modric did not have a sensational goal, the man on the opposite side of the midfield to Toni Kroos was also fantastic vs. Inter Milan. Modric tends to do well against the Nerazzurri, and he was all over the pitch in this one, without even being subbed off. The 36-year-old is an absolute marvel. He was creating chances, carrying the ball, winning the ball, and doing all the little things that were key in this latest clean sheet victory for Real Madrid.
Rating: 8.0
LW Vinicius Junior
This was another quieter performance from Vinicius Junior, but it was another smart, effective one against a big opponent. Vinicius does so much hard work in these Champions League matches, as he did last time out at Sheriff. The left winger led Los Blancos with three tackles, giving Ferland Mendy all the help he needed against an Inter side that likes to use the width of the pitch. Vini still had his big attacking moments, too, working hard to create for his teammates with three key passes and four fouls drawn. As usual, opposition defenders loathe having to deal with him, and Inter resorted to cheap fouls at times.
Rating: 7.5
ST Luka Jovic
Luka Jovic’s hold-up play definitely comes in handy for Real Madrid. While the Serbian international did not contribute to a goal this time, he did pose a threat and worked hard to create for the wingers, especially Vinicius Junior. Jovic ended the match with a pair of key passes, and you can see how much harder he is trying to get involved on the ball and be a linking element for the other forwards. Because he knows that is important for a Real Madrid striker.
Rating: 7.0
RW Rodrygo Goes
Rodrygo Goes was unlucky not to score on Tuesday night, as he smacked the post. He also got credited with an assist, though that is more for the stat sheet than anything else. Once again, Rodrygo’s most important contributions were his defensive work, and they were definitely needed against the underrated Ivan Perisic, who put in a lot of work to get the ball into the box. Rodrygo mostly prevented the Croatian wide man from crafting these chances. While Madridistas would like to see Rodrygo more involved, the young man is doing his job and helping the team.
Rating: 6.5