Rayo Vallecano 0-1 Real Madrid: Player Ratings as Thibaut Courtois spares humiliation
CM Toni Kroos
While Toni Kroos completed about 98 percent of his 103 pass attempts and a perfect eight of eight long balls, the stats feel very empty, just like they do with Ferland Mendy and some of the other Real Madrid players.
Kroos did not command this match in midfield, and there was something a bit lacking about his final ball. That said, he was very close to an assist with his cross for Casemiro, and he should be praised for the accuracy of his passing. But when the team struggles to score once and flounders in such an open game, it is hard for me to give Kroos high marks.
Rating: 6.0
DM Casemiro
Not the best of days at all for Casemiro. Aside from a goal that was disallowed for offsides, the defensive midfielder did not have a positive impact on the game at all. He was lucky his usual giveaways did not lead to any goals for the home side, as Casemiro was even sloppier in possession than usual. Very little of what he did on the ball came off, and his touches often either slowed the team or led to Rayo capitalizing with a change in possession. He was also fortunate not to get sent off for another cynical foul.
Rating: 4.0
CM Luka Modric
Luka Modric was not as accurate with his passing as Kroos and not as involved in the match, and it is becoming worrisome to see how little of an impact he is making defensively. The man is tired, and it is high time Carlo Ancelotti did something about it. Subbing him out in the 87th minute does not constitute rest, by the way.
So overall, it was an underwhelming performance from Modric, but there were bright areas. He had a great pass for Asensio and did more to progress the ball than the other starting Real Madrid midfielders. You wonder that if Casemiro were better on this day, Modric would have stood out more positively.
Rating: 6.0
CM Fede Valverde
Fede Valverde was the only midfielder on Real Madrid who had an above-average performance. His impact off the bench at around the hour mark was clearly felt, and this was another argument in favor of the Uruguayan getting more starts for Los Merengues.
Rating: 7.0