Real Madrid Player Ratings as Vinicius Junior, Karim Benzema own Valencia again
After losing to Getafe last weekend, Real Madrid needed a bounce-back performance in LaLiga on Saturday against Valencia. And they more than bounced back. Though a poor foul from Ferland Mendy led to a penalty that ruined the clean sheet, this was another thoroughly dominant display from the Merenge club, as they defeated the visiting Bats 4-1 behind braces from Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior.
Here are the player ratings from a victory in which Real Madrid looked a lot more like Real Madrid.
GK Thibaut Courtois
No clean sheet for Thibaut Courtois, but Madridistas watching this match understood just how good he was. He made a highlight-reel save, an additional big stop, and a penalty save, though Goncalo Guedes did brilliantly to head home the rebound. Courtois is the best goalkeeper in the world, and each successive performance seems to solidify this as a fact.
Rating: 8.0
LB Ferland Mendy
While Ferland Mendy should be criticized for grabbing the arm of a Valencia player to give away a penalty – and he could have been sent off – the Frenchman had a strong match. Mendy played very well offensively, improving from his recent performances in the attacking phase. He finished the match with three key passes, four dribbles completed, and a trio of fouls drawn. That’s on top of two interceptions and an assist.
Rating: 7.0
CB David Alaba
David Alaba was quite poor against Getafe, but, as you’d expect, the Austrian had his own LaLiga bounce-back on Saturday night. The Austrian was never troubled defensively, cleaning up where needed and making a lot of smart movements off the ball to stymie Valencia’s forwards. He completed 95 percent of his passes in the type of calm game most experienced center backs dream of.
Rating: 7.5
CB Eder Militao
Although Eder Militao was denied a second goal in a row by the well-versed Jasper Cillessen, the Brazilian made an impact in the attacking phase with some great passes. Militao loves looking for Vinicius Junior on searching balls down the field, and a couple of them nearly led to dangerous plays. Defensively, Militao dominated Valencia, as many of us expected. He was booked, but, in truth, it was a soft call.
Rating: 8.0
RB Lucas Vazquez
We don’t praise Lucas Vazquez enough when he does well, and he did a great job against Jose Gaya and the left side of the Valencia attack this weekend. Vazquez did the running of two players, working hard to make sure the Bats didn’t produce too many counterattacking opportunities. He finished the match with a pair of key passes and a whopping four interceptions, highlighting a strong defensive performance.
Rating: 7.0