Real Madrid Player Ratings for February as Courtois, defense carry a spiraling squad

CM Toni Kroos

The month of February was a mixed bag for the world-class Toni Kroos. He was fantastic in the win over Granada and also had a strong performance against Villarreal, controlling the pitch as best as he could against a very game Yellow Submarine. It was one of those games in which Kroos played well but was let down by the forwards in front of him.

On the other hand, Kroos cannot have any complaints about his teammates in recent matches against PSG and Rayo. He was off the pace in both matches, hurt tactically by Ancelotti’s gameplan in that Champions League loss. Kroos received rest in the 3-0 win over Alaves, and hopefully getting more rest going forward serves him well. He looked incredibly fatigued at the Parc des Princes.

Rating: 6.5

DM Casemiro

Casemiro also had an inconsistent month, wherein a couple of bad performances negated a few great ones. The defensive midfielder was stellar in his role vs. PSG, standing out as one of the few positives in a cowardly display from Carletto and his men. Casemiro was also excellent against Alaves, showing surprisingly good ball security in the bounce-back win.

But he slid back to his mistake-prone ways in a truly shocking performance at Vallecas. Casemiro was so bad that he was subbed by Ancelotti, which rarely happens. And he could have been sent off, actually, instead of being substituted. Casemiro was clumsy in that match, losing the ball in his own half on multiple occasions. That has been the biggest blemish in 2021-22; Case’s own mistakes often undo his world-class defensive output.

Rating: 6.5

CM Luka Modric

This is a very low rating by Luka Modric’s standards, even though it is exactly average by anyone else’s. And that reinforces just how much Modric needs more rest. By this point in the season, Lukita is quite tired. He was untouchable a few months ago, dropping everyone’s jaws with his performance against Atletico Madrid in El Derbi. But lately, Modric has looked a shell of himself, as exemplified by nondescript outings vs. PSG, Rayo, and Athletic Bilbao.

Rating: 6.0

CM Fede Valverde

Aside from a surprisingly poor showing against Villarreal, Fede Valverde had a solid month of February. He earned his start against Alaves, helping Real Madrid to a 3-0 win. But most impressively, Valverde changed the game twice for Real off the bench in 1-0 LaLiga victories over Granada and Rayo. Clearly, the Uruguayan adds something extra to this midfield with his energy, and Carlo Ancelotti must take advantage accordingly.

Rating: 6.5