Real Madrid fans were not happy with the lineup Carlo Ancelotti selected coming into this LaLiga fixture vs. Granada, and they already had a bone to pick with the legendary manager after his poor decisions in their Copa del Rey loss to Athletic Bilbao.
Los Blancos’ first half was as dire as it gets, but a big save in the fourth minute from Thibaut Courtois ensured they would get a chance to claw back.
And they did.
Luka Jovic and Eden Hazard entered the match in the second half and predictably helped. But it was Marco Asensio who was the hero, scoring a delightful goal from outside the box, his eighth of the season in all competitions.
Here are the player ratings from Real Madrid’s 1-0 win over Granada.
GK Thibaut Courtois
Thibaut Courtois made a couple of important stops in this match, with none bigger than his save in the opening minutes. Yet again, he was a difference-maker for Real Madrid.
Rating: 7.5
LB Marcelo
Coming into this match, many of us were worried about Marcelo starting at left back with Ferland Mendy injured and Miguel Gutierrez seemingly perpetually out of the picture. But Marcelo was not a liability. In fact, he was quite good. He made very few mistakes defensively and was in command offensively, including when Real Madrid were struggling elsewhere in the attack. Marcelo received applause from the Santiago Bernabeu after being subbed off for Nacho Fernandez in the second half. He had three dribbles completed, three fouls drawn, and three tackles.
Rating: 7.5
CB David Alaba
David Alaba came up to join the attack in the second half with Real desperate to score. He nearly created a goal, too, with a lovely stepover pass and then another great pass in the box to feed Luka Modric, who probably should have shot first-time. Alaba was solid defensively and accurate as ever with his passing, completing 95 percent of his attempts.
Rating: 7.5
CB Eder Militao
This was a quieter day from Eder Militao, who had a couple of lapses defensively in the first half but was generally solid, especially as the game went on. He played a key role in the clean sheet and made some nice recoveries in the opposition’s half with Real chasing a goal.
Rating: 7.0
RB Dani Carvajal
It was wonderful to have Dani Carvajal back in the starting XI for Real Madrid. The world-class right back showed that class throughout the match, putting in an elite shift defensively with some industrious attacking work. He was the guy the midfielders constantly looked to, and it makes a world of difference when he is on the pitch. Carvajal does so many of the little things well.
Rating: 8.0