CM Toni Kroos
Toni Kroos produced his worst individual performance of the 2021/22 season in this game. Part of that is down to the fact that, once again, he suffered because Real Madrid had so little control of the ball. But he was always very sloppy with his passing, especially by his standards. Defensively, he was chasing shadows, resorting to attempts at tactical fouls, rather than actual defending. He did not have the speed to hang with Chelsea.
If this were the approach Carlo Ancelotti wanted all along, why start Kroos? Why subject him to this match where he would be run ragged with no real ability to impact the game offensively? Kroos was quite poor, but we cannot make any grand statements about him. He was set up to fail. Not for the first time this season.
Rating: 4.0
DM Casemiro
Casemiro worked hard and made some key defensive interventions, but he also made some confusing plays, including actually stealing the ball from Luka Modric’s feet just to have one of his trademark longshots that goes miles over the var. He even made clumsy mistakes defensively, including going to ground far too early for one of Chelsea’s goals.
As much of a positive as Casemiro is overall, the defensive midfielder continues to frustrate fans to the point where you can understand why many Madridistas want the club to sign Aurelien Tchouameni as his replacement.
Rating: 5.0
CM Luka Modric
What more can be said about Luka Modric? What more superlatives can be said about the midfield magician? His outside-the-boot pass to Rodrygo Goes will go down in history as one of the finest Champions League passes ever. It was an example of Modric transcending the game and taking the responsibility upon himself to come up with a moment of magic that would give his team a chance to win. And without that pass to Rodrygo, Los Blancos would not have been able to win this game.
Of course, Modric’s impact on the match goes beyond that one assist. His pressing, relentless ball-winning, and veteran instincts were vital for Real Madrid not blowing this game or getting completely overrun. Clutch beyond words and one of the greatest ever.
Rating: 9.0
CM Eduardo Camavinga
The definition of a super-sub, Eduardo Camavinga showed incredible composure in the second half, earning great respect from a Santiago Bernabeu crowd that already had a great deal of love for the young midfielder coming in. Camavinga showed so much heart, intelligent passing, and brave defending for the Merengues.
Rating: 8.0