Real Madrid got the job done against their city rivals Atletico Madrid in a 2-1 win in the first leg of the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday night. Goals from Rodrygo and Brahim Diaz sandwiched an equaliser by Julian Alvarez, giving them a narrow lead going into the second leg.
The game saw most players rise to the occasion and produce quality performances, although there were a few that left a lot to be desired. Here are the player ratings from the big clash:
GK Thibaut Courtois
Another good performance from Courtois. Absolutely nothing he could have done about Julian Alvarez's brilliant goal, and also had a couple of important saves to keep Real Madrid in the game and sometimes ahead. Rating: 7
RB Fede Valverde
The hero. Tailor-made for Real Madrid. Loves the club, and wears his heart on his sleeve every time he is on the pitch. Had a race against time for fitness, lost the race, played anyway, and gave a brilliant performance. Last-minute interceptions, tackles, blocks, you name it. He also had a brilliant assist to Rodrygo for Real Madrid's first goal. Rating: 9
CB Raul Asencio
A sound performance from Asencio. Had a lot to do in the first half of the match, and continued to be put under pressure but he dealt with it really well. He was only aggressive when needed, and played his part well. Rating: 7.5
CB Antonio Rudiger
The struggle continues for Rudiger. He was much better against Atletico than he was against Real Betis, but still was very far off his best levels. He also made a couple of mistakes in the box which sometimes led to goalscoring chances for Atletico. Rating: 6.5
LB Ferland Mendy
Not much to do. He had a couple of good blocks, but struggled under pressure whenever in possession, as usual. Not much more he could have done off the ball, but he always left something to be desired when on it. Did have the assist to Brahim (again). Rating: 6.5
DM Aurelien Tchouameni
Tchouameni had to step up, and he did. An awesome performance from the Frenchman at the base of midfield, much different to what he did against Real Betis. Controlled the game, especially after Luka Modric's introduction. Just what Real Madrid needed. Rating: 8
CM Eduardo Camavinga
A poor game from Camavinga. First half was really bad, giving away possession in dangerous areas on multiple occasions. He was too safe in terms of passing, and just did not look himself all night. Improved slightly in the second half, but not much. He was the first man off. Rating: 5
CAM Brahim Diaz
One of the best performances of the season for Brahim. He had his mistakes - sometimes he kept the ball for a bit longer than he should have - but he was a workhorse in defense. Jude Bellingham's presence in defense was well covered by the Moroccan international, and then the brilliant solo effort to add to that. Sweet as strawberry. Rating: 9
RW Rodrygo
In the first five minutes of the match, Rodrygo looked like the best player in the world. Scored a brilliant goal, and then had shouts for a penalty which was not given. After that, his influence waned down a bit, but he still did well defensively and worked very hard. Rating: 7.5
ST Kylian Mbappe
Mbappe did not do a lot offensively or defensively. He was put under a lot of pressure by Atletico's defense and midfield, and they were successful in mitigating his impact on the pitch. His positioning was good, but that was it. He had a brilliant chance to get Vinicius Jr on the scoresheet towards the end of the game, but he let himself and his Brazilian teammates down. Rating: 5
LW Vinicius Jr
A similar performance to that of Mbappe. He had a couple of good pressing sequences where he got the ball back, but did not provide a lot offensively, though he was more involved than his French counterpart. Should have had a goal at the end but was met with a mediocre pass by Mbappe. Rating: 5.5