Real Madrid Player Ratings as Luka Jovic flops in 1-0 loss to Atletico Madrid

Real Madrid fans didn’t care about this El Derbi against Atletico Madrid, though Los Rojiblancos had everything to play for with a top-four spot on the line in their battle against Real Betis.

What mattered most to Madridistas was getting through this game against their physical rivals unscathed. Thankfully, that was the case. Real Madrid were unable to spoil the Champions League party against Atleti, losing 1-0, but Atleti only scored on a controversial penalty. It was not as if Real were thoroughly outplayed despite playing their B team.

Here are the player ratings from Real Madrid’s 1-0 loss to Atletico Madrid at the Wanda Metropolitano on LaLiga’s Matchday 35.

GK Andriy Lunin

Andriy Lunin was the man who made the most of his opportunity, making a point-blank save in the second half and only getting beaten on a penalty. The Ukrainian goalkeeper made no mistakes between the posts for Madrid, and his distribution was quite good against the aggressive Atletico Madrid press.

Rating: 7.5

LB Nacho Fernandez

Nacho Fernandez was solid in defense at both left back and center back with a tackle and two interceptions. The veteran Real Madrid defender wasn’t perfect, but he did his job and nearly helped Real keep a clean sheet at the Wanda.

Rating: 7.0

CB Jesus Vallejo

I cannot blame Jesus Vallejo for surrendering the penalty, as Matheus Cunha was already going down when Vallejo’s foot accidentally stepped on his. And Cunha is a known diver, as we saw in the second half when he tried to get Vallejo sent off.

Defensively, Vallejo was solid, clearing the ball and taking no chances on it when pressed by Atleti. He knows his limitations. In transition, you can tell he’s not a good enough defender for Real Madrid, but he is good enough to avoid catastrophe. Someone should buy him.

Rating: 6.0

CB Eder Militao

Eder Militao wasn’t at his best defensively, but he wasn’t bad either. He didn’t make mistakes and didn’t get hurt. That’s a win for Madridistas.

Rating: 6.0

RB Lucas Vazquez

Lucas Vazquez was one of the hardest-working players on the pitch, as per usual. The Galician had three tackles to lead the back line, and he completed more than 90 percent of his passes. Although Vazquez was beaten quite a few times by Yannick Carrasco, he also had a couple of really nice one-on-one plays against one of LaLiga’s trickiest wingers. All told, it was a decent performance from Vazquez, even if he was quiet offensively.

Rating: 6.5