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
CM Toni Kroos
The metronomic midfielder was solid again. Toni Kroos did not have his most spectacular day at the office vs. Valencia, but the Bats could do little to trouble the German on this day. He completed about 95 percent of his 99 pass attempts, including 12 of 14 long balls. Kroos had some nice pick-outs for the right-sided players of the formation, doing well to make sure Real Madrid kept their width offensively and shape defensively. A leader on the pitch, Kroos did the little things well.
Rating: 7.0
DM Casemiro
Real Madrid looked a little desperate defensively at times after Casemiro left, ceding control when the booked defensive midfielder made way. Casemiro drew the penalty for the opening goal, brilliantly anticipating the pass for an interception before charging into the box himself. Cynically, you could praise him for going to ground at the exact moment he was about to lose the ball, maximizing his chances of getting the penalty. Case completed 90 percent of his passes, drew four fouls, and recorded three interceptions and three clearances on defense.
Rating: 7.5
CM Luka Modric
Another standing ovation was given to Luka Modric by the Bernabeu faithful on LaLiga’s 20th Matchday. Modric was the saving grace in the outfield against Getafe, and he continued his blistering start to 2022 with a just-as-good performance at the White House on Saturday night. Modric was all over the pitch, majestically controlling the midfield with his accurate and progressive passing. The Croatian recorded three key passes to tie Mendy and Kroos for the team lead, and he was so unlucky not to have scored as his left-footed shot smacked the underside of the crossbar.
Rating: 8.0
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
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