Villarreal 0 – 0 Real Madrid: Player Ratings as Los Blancos rue missed chances

CM Toni Kroos

Toni Kroos was one of the better players on the pitch for Real Madrid, which is what you would expect from a man with his consistency. Real probably wanted to sub out Kroos before the 90 minutes to give him extra rest before PSG, but with how poorly things went in this game for Real at times, that was not going to happen.

The 32-year-old completed 94 percent of his 98 passes, including three key passes and 14 of 16 long balls completed. Kroos’ balls switches to the right were the only plays that opened things up on a flank that looked absolutely dead for much of the 90 minutes. Had a few of his teammates been more active, Kroos could have ended with more praise for his performance.

Rating: 7.5

DM Casemiro

Like Kroos, Casemiro was also excellent in midfield. His defensive contributions cannot go underrated, as he made a few vital interventions, including one ingenious pick-off of a pass that could have led to a goal for the ever-dangerous Samuel Chukwueze.

Casemiro completed all nine of his long passes, recorded six tackles, and even blocked a pair of shots. Without him, Real Madrid surely would have conceded and lost this match to Villarreal at the Estadio de la Ceramica.

Rating: 8.0

CM Fede Valverde

After changing the game off the bench against Granada last weekend, there were shouts for Fede Valverde to start not just against Villarreal but also potentially against PSG. Those shouts have largely subsided after an overall below-average performance from the Uruguayan.

Valverde was anonymous in the first half, when you would have expected him to be one of the most lively players on the pitch. He did significantly better in the second, though, creating a clear-cut chance for Vinicius Jr. with his pressing. Still, you have to say it was too little, too late. He was not nearly involved enough.

Rating: 5.0