Real Madrid Player Ratings for January as Vinicius Jr., Modric stand out

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Real Madrid’s Isco (Photo by Jose Jordan / AFP) (Photo by JOSE JORDAN/AFP via Getty Images) /

AM Isco Alarcon

Isco had two impact performances off the bench in the Copa del Rey. He was certainly one of those players who made the most of the Copa del Rey. He scored the third goal against Alcoyano that was all sorts of sloppy. Not just the goal but the entire team’s performance. What seemed to me like an own goal was credited to Isco. The veteran did well to follow his instincts and put pressure on the goalkeeper into committing the mistake. He scored the equalizer against Elche when the team needed it the most. Isco is seemingly on his way out of the Spanish Capital but it feels great to see that the veteran is contributing to the season in his last remaining days in a white shirt.

Rating: 7.0

CM Toni Kroos

Toni Kroos isn’t going for the direct goal involvements this season. He scored a few golazos against the likes of Inter Milan and Sheriff but his usual game of tallying up assists in the league is missing this season. He has rather focused on doing all the dirty work in the middle of the park. His stats in passing, defensive contributions, etc. have been top-notch. In every game, Kroos fails to catch the eyes of the spectators. But, one post-match look at his stats says how crucial he has been in the game. He is working really hard this season and January was an extension of the same. His performances in the Supercopa were the two standouts for him in the month, in my opinion. Pure class!

Rating: 7.5

Real Madrid’s Luka Modric (Photo by Fayez Nureldine / AFP) (Photo by FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images) /

CM Luka Modric

The best player in January and certainly the most in-form player to start the New Year. Luka Modric is in a league of his own at 36 years of age. His work rate has been phenomenal and he had one masterclass in January that came in the final of Supercopa against Athletic Club. He hit the crossbar twice in the first two games of January and finally scored in that final. Apart from that brilliant goal, Modric’s overall game has been fantastic and it is easy for me to say that he has been Los Blancos’ best midfielder in January. The maestro is timeless!

Rating: 8.0

CM Federico Valverde

One of the unsung heroes of the season’s first title, Fede Valverde had limited opportunities coming his way in the season. But, he took the one that mattered the most, the winner in the semifinal of the Supercup against arch-rivals FC Barcelona. The youngster lives for these rivalry games and he is becoming something of a hero in Saudi Arabia for Madridistas.

But, I am very concerned about Valverde. He doesn’t look half the player he used to be under Zinedine Zidane and I am pretty sure that is due to his lack of minutes. Fede needs a little hand-holding right now. He needs to be a more regular piece in Ancelotti’s rotation tactics and he is very capable of starting games. He is a quality player at Ancelotti’s disposal who hasn’t been used to the fullest potential. Also, the very rare starts that he is getting hasn’t helped and his performances in those games have been just average or at times worse.

Rating: 6.0

CM Dani Ceballos

Contrasting to what I wrote about Valverde, I’ve been very happy about Dani Ceballos. He is finally looking like he can actually contribute to the remainder of Los Blancos’ season. He played well against both Alcoyano and Valencia, the latter was certainly the better performance. And then, against Elche, he popped up when the team needed inspiration the most. His shot/pass resulted in an assist for Isco’s equalizing goal in the last 16 rounds of the Copa del Rey. I hope the Spaniard can continue contributing in the same manner.

Rating: 6.0

Real Madrid, Eduardo Camavinga (Photo by Quality Sport Images/Getty Images ) /

CM Eduardo Camavinga

Eduardo Camavinga struggled for his chances in the league but he more than just made it up for the same in his Copa opportunities. The 19-year-old is on course to becoming a star in the white shirt. His composure and rhythm on the ball have already made me a fan and the more I watch him the more I am convinced that Real Madrid’s midfield is in good hands. He had two real opportunities in January, both of them in the Copa and he came out on top.

In a pathetic first-half performance against Alcoyano, Camavinga was Real Madrid’s only positive. He improved from his performance against the third-tier side to the game against Elche. Say what? He also played a different role. He was a proper number 8 against Alcoyano whereas against Elche he played in a number 6’s role with Casemiro replacing him late into the game. Camavinga is versatile, he is dynamic, creative, knows to anchor play, is a superb defender, good at retaining possession, has smart off-the-ball movement and the list goes on. A little more sharpening of these skills and the next great midfielder in a white shirt is in the making.

Rating: 7.5

CDM Carlos Casemiro

Real Madrid’s workhorse Carlos Casemiro dropped a performance for the ages against Barcelona in the semifinal of the Supercopa. But other than that his January has been a total rollercoaster ride. He dropped decent performances at times and then again he played horribly against teams like Getafe and Alcoyano. He was good against Valencia and Elche in the league. Something taking the toll in a bad performance is his passing accuracy, I have spotted Casemiro struggle with fancy one-touch passes and sloppy giveaways resulting through them. He needs to secure these passes otherwise his defensive contribution was reliable. He also came close to scoring at times this month but the search for that first goal is still ON.