Real Madrid Player Ratings as Vinicius Junior, Karim Benzema own Valencia again
LW Vinicius Junior
Vinicius Junior was one of the two matchwinners -alongside Karim Benzema – when Real Madrid first played Valencia this season. He was tremendous again, roasting the Bats’ defense to the tune of two goals. His second was a straightforward header on an open net after Cillessen could not smack Marco Asensio’s shot over the bar, but his first was breathtaking. It was a showcase in Vini’s desire to score and fleet feet in close quarters. Vini’s composure, skill, and initiative were too much for Valencia to handle, and he was a deserving Man of the Match winner. Go watch him off the ball, on both ends of the pitch. He does so much to make sure Real win matches. As we saw against Getafe when he did not play, Vini means everything to Los Blancos.
Rating: 9.0
CF Karim Benzema
After a quiet first half, Karim Benzema came alive when necessary. He was at his clinical best against Valencia, bouncing back from his worst performance of the season last weekend. Benzema scored one of the best penalties you will ever see, smacking the ball into the very top bin of the left side of the net. That was the No. 9’s 300th career goal for Los Merengues. His 301st came in the second half, as he made a turn-and-shoot situation look oh-so-easy, smacking the ball off the right-hand post. Benzema had two key passes and two dribbles completed on top of the two goals. And lest we forget, he created Vini’s first goal!
Rating: 8.0
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RW Marco Asensio
A critical goal-scorer at mid-week against Alcoyano, Marco Asensio had an even better performance on Saturday as a starter vs. Valencia, even if he did not score. Asensio’s shot effectively led to a Vinicius goal, and he was also robbed by a world-class block by Valencia’s leader, Jose Gaya. Although he lacks the speed in transition and can sometimes frustrate with his meandering play, Asensio showed so much more attacking initiative in this game and a lot of what he did came off. We cannot exaggerate how well he played, because he is still lacking one-on-one and will struggle against better defenses. But he was smart and grew into the game, working harder as the match progressed, which was another positive. It is also telling that he drew five fouls from Valencia.
Rating: 7.0