Real Madrid 3-0 Alaves: Player Ratings as Marco Asensio helps Los Blancos bounce back
LW Vinicius Jr.
Vinicius Jr. looked very tired in the first half, and I was begging to wonder if he would have another disappointing day simply due to fatigue. In the end, Vini broke his drought of goals by tapping home an excellent team move, and he was dangerous in the second half on one-on-ones. In the first half, he also forced a save from Pacheco that led to a great chance for Benzema.
In the end, Vini had a team-high four dribbles completed and two key passes. It wasn’t his best game, but it was a good enough performance on the left wing. And the goal will be important as he continues to build his confidence. He now has 13 goals in LaLiga this season.
Rating: 7.0
CF Karim Benzema
The stats show that Karim Benzema had two assists and a goal, and, normally, he would get a rating close to a 9 for that. But one of those assists was for a world-class hit from outside the box by Asensio, whereas the goal was a penalty.
Still, Benzema had to make those plays, and his passes, including the final assist, on the second goal were beyond exquisite. They were the key moves in one of the best goals Real Madrid have scored all season.
Benz is like that sometimes. He was not even close to 100 percent and was quiet for most of the game, but in the clutch moments, Benz came through. He even came close to a brace, getting denied at the goal line (perhaps he should have scored) and then hitting the post later with his left foot.
It was not a perfect game from Benzema, but in the end, he was very good because he produced. And Real have been missing that sort of production lately.
Rating: 7.5
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RW Marco Asensio
For much of the game, Marco Asensio was a passenger again, and it did not help that Madridistas wanted to see Gareth Bale start following Asensio’s atrocious performance against PSG. The boos started to reign in, and the frustration looked like it would lead to a tipping point after Asensio made an inexcusably bad backpass that landed at the feet of Alaves substitute Pere Pons.
However, just moments later, Asensio atoned for the error that Pons could not punish. The Andalusian scored another fine goal from beyond the box, curling the ball expertly past Fernando Pacheco. It was another case of Asensio saving a bad day at the office and overturning the narrative with one strike of his left foot.
Rating: 7.0