Osasuna 1-3 Real Madrid: Player Ratings as Rodrygo Goes drops another masterclass
LW Rodrygo Goes
For me, Real Madrid’s best player on the pitch for a second match in a row, even above the impressive Dani Ceballos in midfield. Rodrygo was unplayable at times, toying with an Osasuna defense that held Los Blancos goalless in their last two meetings. And his day would have been rated even higher had Karim Benzema converted even one of the two penalties Rodrygo drew for the team on Wednesday night.
Rodrygo is putting it all together with consecutive great performances, shedding the inconsistency woes from earlier this season. He finally got another start in his preferred position on the left wing, and unlike his last appearance there, Rodrygo did not disappoint in the slightest. His dribbling ability and constant desire to drive forward are so valuable to Real Madrid.
Rating: 8.5
CF Karim Benzema
To be honest, Karim Benzema could have been better from the spot, as goalkeepers are figuring out his tendency to go low and to their right side, in line with his favored shooting style as a right-footer. Benzema went to this twice, with the exact same result both times, as has been the issue with a couple of misses earlier this season.
But let’s not get harped up on the penalties. Benzema was pretty good outside of the missed spots kicks, even if he wasn’t as much of a threat as in his recent matches. The No. 9 did some good work in the box and was very key to the build-up play, showing a good connection with the midfielders and Rodrygo on the left-hand side. He tied Rodrygo for the team lead with four key passes.
Rating: 7.0
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RW Marco Asensio
Meanwhile, Marco Asensio did get on the scoresheet with a tap-in as a result of some good instincts in the box, but he was quite poor outside of that. He left a lot of space for the players behind him to cover and seemed lethargic and disengaged off the ball, often hiding behind Osasuna players or resorting to short, useless passes. Once again, Asensio did grow into the game, but it wasn’t enough. Even when he makes forward runs off the ball, he does so in ways that don’t actually allow him to separate enough from the defender to make it worth it for a teammate to go for such a risky pass.
By the end of the match, Asensio wasn’t awful, but he was, once again, the weak link on the pitch for Real Madrid.
Rating: 4.0