After a horrible first-half marred by poor officiating, Real Madrid fans were worried that another hard road trip in LaLiga against a team intent on brutal fouling would yield more dropped points for the Merengue club.
Karim Benzema and Vinicius Jr. had other plans, though.
Vinicius Jr. scored the first and drew the penalty for the second, while Karim the Dream added two more goals to his league-leading tally after assisting the first via some great pressing. These two superstars have been clutch time after time in tough games for Real Madrid, and they were the difference in LaLiga on Monday night at the Iberostar Stadium.
Here are the player ratings from Real’s 3-0 win over Mallorca. Though not all is sweet, as there are injury concerns for Benzema, Rodrygo Goes, and Ferland Mendy.
GK Thibaut Courtois
Thibaut Courtois did not have too much to do, but he was solid in goal again. You can always depend on a positive performance from the Belgian.
Rating: 7.0
LB Ferland Mendy
This was a poor game from Ferland Mendy, whose importance to the team is quietly dwindling. His attacking contributions continue to be non-existent, as he is clumsy on the ball and can’t make any teasing passes. Defenses stick to Vinicius Jr. closely, knowing Mendy is no threat to assist.’
Rating: 5.0
CB David Alaba
David Alaba completed 95 percent of his pass attempts and wasn’t bad defensively, though he did make a couple of mistakes that he doesn’t usually. This was a more average performance from a player who has been one of the top center backs in LaLiga and the Champions League this season.
Rating: 6.0
CB Nacho Fernandez
One of the best players on the pitch for Real Madrid, Nacho Fernandez was rugged defensively and made one standout tackle to deny Mallorca a first-half goal. He is a player Madridistas can depend on when he needs to start, and the rest he gave for Eder Militao, facing suspension coming into this match, could be vital for El Clasico.
Better yet, there was no noticeable drop-off on the right side of the defense between Nacho and Militao. Considering the Brazilian is playing at a world-class level, that is a feather in Nacho’s cap.
Rating: 7.5
RB Lucas Vazquez
Tremendous stuff from Lucas Vazquez. I hope his defensive performance does not get overlooked, as he pocketed Takefusa Kubo, embarrassing the young Real Madrid loanee at times. Vazquez was assertive and made the tough fouls when appropriate, earning a booking for a tactical foul against Kubo in transition.
The 30-year-old had six tackles and two clearances, as he spent most of his time focusing on the defensive aspects of the game.
Rating: 7.5