Real Madrid needed a great response after their debacle in Paris earlier this week, and it seemed like Madridistas would leave disappointed with the team again after watching a lethargic first half. Los Blancos were suffering from the same issues through the first 45, sleepwalking through the match and failing to create anything of note.
That all changed in the second half after a fantastic goal from Marco Asensio, followed by an even better team goal that involved Fede Valverde, Asensio, Karim Benzema (assist), and Vinicius Jr. (goal). And then Benzema sealed the game beyond all doubt very late with a penalty that Rodrygo Goes won.
With a 3-0 win led by a strong second half, Real Madrid can feel better about themselves coming out of LaLiga’s Matchday 25. But because the first half was so poor, Madridistas won’t be resting too easily.
GK Thibaut Courtois
Thibaut Courtois was called into action a couple of times and made one save on a breakaway, but this was a comparatively quiet day for the Belgian.
Rating: 7.0
LB Ferland Mendy
Ferland Mendy was subbed off early for Marcelo, as he has been playing through an injury. The reality is that Mendy was quite poor, making laughably wayward crosses and wandering offsides too often, which should not be a common occurrence for a defensive left back. He looked totally out of it at times on offense, both on and off the ball. A day to forget, but, understandably, he is not playing at 100 percent.
Rating: 5.0
CB David Alaba
David Alaba was the best player on the pitch. The veteran center back was so consistent throughout the 90 minutes, which honestly cannot be said about the forwards, whose ratings are buoyed by the goals in the second alf.
He was everywhere in this match, working hard to quickly recover the ball for his team and even get up the field. Without Toni Kroos’, Alaba’s ability to control matches in central defense became that much more important. He completed about 96 percent of his passes.
Rating: 8.0
CB Eder Militao
Another solid day from Eder Militao, who continues to be a steady hand for Real Madrid. He nearly did make a mistake in his own half by attempting an ill-advised chop move while under pressure, but he recovered like a veteran with some body English to draw a foul.
Militao keeps on earning rave reviews from Madridistas and, now, fans beyond the club. The 24-year-old won two tackles and two interceptions and is really coming into his own this season.
Rating: 7.5
RB Dani Carvajal
After an embarrassing display against PSG which was preceded by another less-than-convincing performance, Dani Carvajal was much better against Alaves. He was calm defensively, albeit against an easy matchup, and was active offensively. He put in a handful of crosses and, like Militao, won a pair of tackles and interceptions for his team.
Rating: 7.0
CM Luka Modric
I thought Luka Modric would get some rest after looking tired in his last few matches, especially against PSG. But the Croatian was in vintage form at times on Saturday night, including creating a clear chance for star striker Karim Benzema via an especially clever dummy move.
Modric was at the heart of Real’s comeback in the second half, stringing together passes and commanding the center of the pitch. He worked hard for his 80 minutes, doing a lot of the tough work in possession. Modric would finish the match completing 10 of 11 long balls with 92 percent of his total 86 pass attempts completed.
Rating: 7.5
DM Casemiro
Casemiro quietly had an excellent performance, too, though he was the only midfielder who did not struggle at the Parc des Princes earlier this week. The 29-year-old led the team with 96 pass attempts, completing 12 of 14 long attempts. He was also the team’s most active defensive presence, as usual, with a trio of tackles, interceptions, and clearances.
Offensively, he had a couple of wild shot attempts, but he also had two key passes. This was a smart, well-rounded display from Casemiro, who may be back on an ascension of form.
Rating: 7.5
CM Fede Valverde
Although Fede Valverde did not start the game brightly, he was solid by the time the match ended. The Uruguayan got a well-deserved start against Alaves and erased his poor performance at Villarreal, providing two key passes, three tackles, and more of his usual hard work for Real Madrid. Valverde needs more minutes before the season ends, and this display, particularly in the second half, should help his cause. He was always looking to make the progressive pass, and that meant a lot. Valverde did a great job of getting involved in Real’s second goal, too.
Rating: 7.0
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
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