Vinicius Junior saved the day with a late cameo as Real Madrid came back from behind to seal a 3-3 draw with Levante.
Carlo Ancelotti dropped his first points as the new Real Madrid manager after his side was held to a 3-3 draw by Levante on Sunday. It was a disappointing result for Los Blancos, who lose early ground to rivals Atletico Madrid.
Real Madrid were the better side, though, during the initial stages of the game. They dominated possession, even creating a few scoring opportunities while keeping the opposition at bay. It was unsurprising to see them take the lead within five minutes through Gareth Bale, with the visitors leading Levante 1-0 heading into half-time.
It was a different game in the second half, though, as Levante upped the ante. They started the game incredibly well, equalising through Roger Marti within the first minute before Jose Campana gave them a surprise lead around the hour mark.
The two quick goals served as a major blow for Real Madrid, who were being unable to create any clear cut opportunities. Fortunately for them, a late cameo from Vinicius Jr. helped them equalise in the 73rd minute.
Although Ancelotti’s men conceded again in the 79th minute, Vinicius excellent finish was enough to seal one point for Los Blancos. And here, at The Hard Tackle, we will rate the Real Madrid players in their disappointing draw with Levante this weekend.
Thibaut Courtois: 6/10
Thibaut Courtois couldn’t have done anything to save any of the three goals scored by Levante. He just wasn’t helped by his defenders, who were rather ineffective in dealing with any kind of threat in the second half. It resulted in Courtois conceding three goals in a single game, a rare sight for anyone who has followed Spanish football for the past couple of years.
Lucas Vazquez: 4/10
Lucas Vazquez did very little to vindicate Carlo Ancelotti’s decision to start him at right-back ahead of the fit-again Daniel Carvajal. His marking was below par, to say the least, and Levante really made good use of his defensive vulnerability to sneak in two goals within 15 minutes of the second half.
Real Madrid need a proper right back REAL bad, Lucas Vazquez is clearly struggling out of position
— Aaron West (@oeste) August 22, 2021
Eder Militao: 7/10
Eder Militao produced a good defensive display at the heart of the Real Madrid backline despite conceding three goals. He was at fault for none of the goals. In fact, the Brazilian was the only solid presence in Los Blancos defence, ending the game with four clearances and three interceptions.
Nacho Fernandez: 5/10
Nacho Fernandez had a disappointing game against Levante. He just wasn’t solid and was a mere bystander in two of the three goals. His lack of consistency could be an alarming sight for Real Madrid as they already suffer from a lack of depth in the central defensive positions, following the departure of Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane.
David Alaba: 6.5/10
David Alaba was one of Real Madrid’s good players during the first half. He impressed going forward and was a major player in set-pieces, even playing a vital role in the lead up to the first goal. Defensively, though, the Austrian international was far from impressive, especially for the third goal as he got completely off-guard while defending the set-pieces.
Federico Valverde: 6.5/10
Federico Valverde tried his best to make things happen in the final third. He made driving runs into the opposition or test the goalkeeper with long-range attempts. Unfortunately, he was unable to make an impact as most of his efforts were tame while the Uruguyan international didn’t have any luck whatsoever in breaking the lines of the Levante defence.
Casemiro: 8/10
Casemiro was arguably the best performer among Real Madrid starters. The Brazilian ruled the midfield with his solid tackling and positional awareness. Also deserves a lot of credit for producing a sumptuous through ball to set up Vinicius for the second goal, but would have expected a bit more support from his teammates.
What a pass by Casemiro , what a run by Vini Jr. Counter attack ? #LevanteRealMadrid pic.twitter.com/LvRVbrSLt2
— Rattnam (@krattnam) August 22, 2021
Isco: 7.5/10
Filling in for the injured Luka Modric, Isco had a lot of expectations on his shoulders, having been given the nod ahead of Marco Asensio. He did very well, for the most part, rotating possession well and always attacking the opposition with his slick movements and ability to dribble past defenders. His influence was key in helping Real Madrid dominate first half, although he was taken around the hour mark.
Gareth Bale: 6.5/10
Gareth Bale started the game extremely well, scoring the all-important opener with a finish from inside the box. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to capitalise on that early moment, failing to bring anything to the game aside from tame efforts on goal. The Welshman also did not help out Lucas when it was required.
Karim Benzema: 7.5/10
Karim Benzema had an excellent game as usual. Despite not being able to find the back of the net, the Frenchman brilliantly teed up Bale for the first goal while also registering the assist for the late Vinicius equaliser. He worked hard and offered a lot of creative support to his teammates, in addition to being a threat in front of goal.
Benzema and Bale linking up again ? pic.twitter.com/Nucu2cDlx0
— B/R Football (@brfootball) August 22, 2021
Eden Hazard: 4/10
Eden Hazard had an underwhelming evening against the Levante side. He looked fatigued and lacked the determination to make anything happen. It is not a good sign for Carlo Ancelotti, who may have to freeze out one of the most important players in his team if he continues to underperform.
SUBSTITUTES
Vinicius Junior: 9/10
Vinicius replaced Hazard around the hour mark, almost instantly making an impact with his pace and trickery out wide. He looked very determined to make an impression and that he did with a 73rd-minute goal. He later doubled his tally during the late stages, scoring an equaliser in a bizarre manner. The Brazilian certainly deserves a start in the next game.
Vinicius Jr has only played 55 minutes so far this season in La Liga
He's Real Madrid's top scorer with three goals ⚽️⚽️⚽️ pic.twitter.com/ydmIif40Dj
— Goal (@goal) August 22, 2021
Rodrygo: 6/10
Rodrygo was nowhere near as effective after coming on for Bale around the hour mark. Offered freshness in the final third but not enough to make an impact.
Marco Asensio: 6/10
Marco Asensio came on for Isco, playing in a central attacking midfield role. It was interesting to see him being deployed in that position, although the Spaniard wasn’t impactful at all.
Daniel Carvajal: 7/10
Daniel Carvajal made his return from injury in the second half. He settled in quickly as well, notably initiating the counter-attack that led to Real Madrid’s second goal.
Luka Jovic: N/A
A late replacement for Valverde. Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
