Player Ratings: Valladolid 0-1 Real Madrid
Real Madrid move to within just three of points of arch city rivals Atletico Madrid after a slender 1-0 win against Valladolid on Saturday.
Real Madrid did not start the game well at all and could’ve easily been a goal or two down inside the first fifteen minutes had it not been for some brilliant stops from Courtois. Madrid managed to weather the storm and slowly started to get a foothold on the game. Mariano Diaz managed to score two goals before half-time but both were disallowed for offside.
Around the hour mark, Toni Kroos whipped in another fantastic free-kick and Casemiro was on hand to give Real Madrid the lead. The goal ended up being the winner and with so many absentees, Zidane will undoubtedly be very happy with his player’s attitude and character to grind out such a big result. These are our player ratings:
Starting XI:
Thibaut Courtois: 9/10
What a performance. Single handedly kept Real Madrid in the game in the first-half with some incredible saves. The Belgian has now kept three consecutive clean sheets in LaLiga.
Lucas Vazquez: 7/10
Solid performance from Vazquez. The Galician wasn’t at his best going forward but made up for it with his work rate on and off the ball.
Raphael Varane: 8/10
Real Madrid’s recent improvement in defence is largely down to Varane’s excellent form as of late. The Frenchman was excellent yet again and will undoubtedly have a big say in whether or not Real Madrid can retain their LaLiga crown.
Nacho: 7/10
Ferland Mendy: 7/10
Toni Kroos: 9/10
Five assists in his last five games. Toni Kroos has been in sensational form and tonight was no different. The German’s set piece deliveries were on point every time and Casemiro took full advantage.
Casemiro: 9/10
Scored the winner for Real Madrid which could end up being a massive goal in the race for LaLiga. His goal aside, Casemiro was excellent in midfield making a number of superb tackles to stop Valladolid troubling Real Madrid’s defence.
Luka Modric: 8/10
Watching Modric play tonight you’d think he was 26. The Croatian covered so much ground and was key in helping Real Madrid win the ball back and keep possession. A tireless performance.
Marco Asensio: 5/10
Mariano: 6/10
Vinicius Jr: 6/10
Arribas: 6/10 – Came on for Asensio and came very close to scoring from a fantastic cross by Mendy.
Isco: 6/10 – Came on to replace Vinicius and added some balance to the middle of the park.
Hugo Duro: 6/10 – Came on to replace Mariano as Zidane looked for some fresh legs.
