It’s that time of the month again and I am here with the monthly analysis of Real Madrid’s players. February was a disappointing month that started with the club’s exit from the Copa del Rey at hands of Athletic Club and finished with a tight game against neighboring Rayo Vallecano that required a moment of brilliance to bag all three points. The month also included the biggest embarrassment in Paris, not for the scoreline but for the way Los Blancos played in that fixture.
Here are the stars and flops from the month of February.
Star: CM Fede Valverde
The midfield remained a hit and miss throughout the month. The holy trinity of Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, and Carlos Casemiro didn’t perform up to their standards. While there was an exceptional performance from Casemiro in a 0-0 draw against Villarreal there also were several underwhelming performances in games like the one against Rayo Vallecano. Sloppy giveaways have been a constant problem for the Brazilian.
Toni Kroos very similarly had a mixed bag of performances. To cut it short, the holy trinity hasn’t been at its best. But, they aren’t your regular midfielders. Whenever not at their best, they still do a decent job of seeing the game out.
However, one midfielder has finally taken a step in the right direction and has stood out in improvement. He is Fede Valverde and I definitely consider him a star of the month for how he has capitalized on the opportunities that came his way in the month. He finally got his minutes and made a strong case for a more regular role in the squad.
Valverde’s first opportunity came in the game against Granada when he was brought on as a second-half change around the hour mark. Even if his stat sheet for the game was pretty ordinary, everyone who watched the game noticed the impact his fresh legs created in terms of pressing and making clever runs. He started the game against Villarreal but couldn’t come up with a decisive play other than creating one clear chance for Vinicius Junior.
He came on as a substitute against PSG and couldn’t make an impact within eight minutes. But, he more than made it up for that missed opportunity with solid performances in the two final games of the month. Fede is finally looking like the player he is and I hope his recent form works as the best springboard for him to brighter days as the season approaches its business end.
Star: CB Eder Militao
Real Madrid just conceded two goals in the entire month. One was scored by Alex Berenguer in the Copa del Rey quarterfinals and the other was scored by Kylian Mbappe in the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16 ties at Paris. In LaLiga, this was a perfect month for the defense with four clean sheets in four games. That does sound nice but only regular viewers know how vulnerable Real Madrid is defensively. They are more dependent on their magnificent goalkeeper and some expert last-ditch defending from their stable center-backs.
There was one name in the defense that stood out in February and that was Eder Militao. Recovering from his Holiday hangover, Militao looked much more solid in February. He dropped back-to-back crucial performances and helped Real Madrid stay alive in matches that could’ve gone haywire otherwise.
David Alaba, Real Madrid’s other first-choice center-back was brilliant in February as well but I think Militao edges Alaba in a close battle for being the best defender of the month. Firstly, Militao played all six games while Alaba missed the game against Rayo and had to shift to left-back for the game against Athletic Club in the Copa del Rey. Secondly, Militao dropped three masterclasses in the month in the games against PSG, Athletic Club, and Villarreal. He was an undoubted star of the month.
Star: LW Vinicius Junior
I am rating Vinicius Junior higher than Karim Benzema this month. In my opinion, Vinicius was the best-attacking player for Real Madrid in February. He started the month in a tired fashion after serving national duty and starting for Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey in a matter of hours after a long flight. In his 55 minutes of play, Vini remained the biggest threat to Athletic’s defense. He was understandably withdrawn from the game without any impact made.
He then returned to form against Villarreal but once again it was without any tangible output. He had a quieter game against PSG in one of the most embarrassing Real Madrid performances of recent times. But, he ended the month on a high note with a goal and an assist in the final two games of the month. While Benzema had better figures of two goals and two assists in the month, we need to remember that one of those goals was a penalty and one assist was for a world-class goal from Asensio.
Vini, on the other hand, deserves his extra marks for the games against Villarreal and Atheltic Club where he kept the attacking threat alive and kept running at defenders tirelessly. It has been a quieter month attack-wise for Real Madrid but I still believe Vini was our best player in the department.
Flop: RW Rodrygo Goes
While one Brazilian winger made it to the stars’ column, the other unfortunately was a flop this month. Rodrygo had huge opportunities coming his way and he bottled all of them. He started the game against Athletic Club and didn’t complete one single dribble nor did he create anything meaningful in the entire 90 minutes.
Rodrygo played for just 10 minutes in the game against Paraguay for Brazil the day before starting this one whereas Vini Jr. played for an hour. Yet somehow, Vini was the one who played better against Athletic Club. Such performances from Rodrygo make me think if he lacks that extra bit of special required at Real Madrid.
He started against Granada in his preferred left-wing in Vini’s absence and still remained ineffective. This was one huge opportunity blown and rightfully, he was stripped of his starting role by Carlo Ancelotti for the remainder of the month. He hasn’t been too impactful with his performances off the bench either. I think he’d be better off with a move away on loan to a less competitive club to clear his head out and sharpen his skills.
Star: GK Thibaut Courtois
By far the best player of the month, Real Madrid’s goalkeeping ace Thibaut Courtois is in the form of his life. He is the best goalkeeper in the world based on his current form. He deserves so much more recognition than what he is getting at the moment. Courtois saved Real Madrid numerous times in February and if anyone else wins the player of the month, I’d lose my faith in the award.
He was one of the few Real Madrid players who didn’t deserve to be on the losing end of the Copa del Rey quarter-final against Athletic Club. He made a save in the opening minute against Granada and kept the clean sheet alive. He was then tested by Villarreal away from home and he again stood up to the challenge with big saves including one from his own teammate, Marcelo.
This was followed by an absolute masterclass away at Paris which included a penalty saved against an old nemesis, Lionel Messi. He had a less demanding day in office against Alaves but he had to be on his toes against Rayo Vallecano who didn’t spare a chance to attack. He ended his month with yet another masterclass away at Vallecas. The most important player for February and definitely the biggest star!
Flop: Manager Carlo Ancelotti
After the biggest star, it’s time to reveal the biggest flop. Uniquely, this time it isn’t a player rather it’s the manager Carlo Ancelotti who was the biggest flop for Real Madrid in February. The Italian manager drew in a lot of criticism and rightly so. He made some horrible calls this month and deserves to be leading the list of flops.
Ancelotti looks like a detached manager who just stands near the touchline hoping for his key players to come up clutch and win the game for him. So far, it has worked in favor of the Italian manager in LaLiga. But, he had to bite the dust in the Copa del Rey and the Champions League.
The game against PSG, especially, was absolutely embarrassing and I think it is right to blame Ancelotti for it. When fans celebrate the fact that Real Madrid lost that game because a 0-0 would only keep Ancelotti in the illusion that his tactics were working is a big sign that something is wrong.
Firstly, starting Asensio in games that would require the right-winger to do more than just shoot is a big mistake. I included the same in the things that Carlo Ancelotti should’ve known by now. Secondly, in games that call for more energy, Ancelotti is simply hesitant to trust his bench. The games against PSG and Athletic Club could’ve gone differently had Ancelotti made his changes earlier or started the right set of players. Forcing a half-fit Karim Benzema to action wasn’t wise either.
Last but not the least, the familiar old foe, rotations. Ancelotti has been too rigid towards changing his preferred starting XI. As a result, we have already seen players like Vini Jr., Karim Benzema, and David Alaba face the effects of fatigue. It simply seems like the manager has learned nothing from his mistakes back in the 2014/15 season. I hope Carlo Ancelotti gets into the depth of these issues or else Real Madrid could be heading into darker times.