Villarreal 0 – 0 Real Madrid: Player Ratings as Los Blancos rue missed chances
LW Vinicius Jr.
The best attacking player on the pitch for Real Madrid, Vinicius Jr. drew a handful of fouls and easily could have drawn double that number. Vinicius Jr. was struck in the face by Raul Albiol as he tried to press the keeper, and then he was elbowed in the face during a free kick by midfielder Dani Parejo. Shockingly, neither infraction was punished.
Throughout the match, Vinicius was looking to take Villarreal players on one-on-one, and he was Real’s only genuine threat for the first 45 minutes. Vini was too hot to handle, even for Juan Foyth. He did everything he could to create for his teammates, but when the golden opportunity came his way, he could not take it.
Rating: 7.5
CF Gareth Bale
Although Gareth Bale also missed a good chance by taking too many touches, he should likewise be praised for a positive day at the office in the attack. Bale carried an attacking threat, as he hit the crossbar and forced a big save, with those chances the result of his intelligent movement off the ball. Carlo Ancelotti seems to have Bale planned as the starting right winger against PSG, and after this performance through the middle in an unideal starting position, you have to say he has earned an opportunity.
Bale did not get much service for most of the game, but he made his own chances through his experience. He can get better from here, but this was an encouraging display for the Welshman.
Rating: 7.0
RW Marco Asensio
Marco Asensio, however, was awful. After being the matchwinner last weekend against Granada, Asensio held his team back against Villarreal and was a huge reason why Real Madrid did not score. Marcelo was rubbish defensively, and Asensio was just as poor as an attacker.
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He was a ghost for the 77 minutes he played. The stats show that he had three key passes, but it is hard to say that any of those chances were created through his ingenuity. Asensio was the biggest reason why the right side of Real’s attack could not function at all, and that helped Villarreal congest the middle of the field, which plays into the fact that Bale received so little service for much of the match.
Rating: 3.5