Real Madrid Player Ratings vs Alaves: Los Blancos continue fine run with hard fought win

Real Madrid made it five wins in a row across all competitions as they eased to a 3-0 win over Deportivo Alaves at Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday night.

The hosts dominated the game pretty much from the get-go, carving out chances on a consistent basis. Dani Ceballos, Karim Benzema, Sergio Reguilon and Vinicius Jr. all came close to finding the back of the net before Benzema opened the scoring at the half-hour mark.

Vinicius sent Reguilon clear on the left flank, before the Spaniard squared the ball for Benzema, who made no error in scoring his 10th league goal of the season. Real Madrid continue dominating the game thereafter, with Alaves barely threatening on the opposite end.

But, Los Blancos struggled to add to their advantage, with Alaves goalkeeper Fernando Pacheco and wastefulness proving to be their undoing. Their frustrations finally ended 10 minutes from time, as Vinicius scored his maiden La Liga goal after scoring from Marco Asensio’s ball.

The win was then rounded off in the first minute of injury time when Mariano Diaz headed in from an inch-perfect cross by Alvaro Odriozola, who had been denied by the offside flag moments later. Real Madrid have now won four successive La Liga games for the first time this season.

Santiago Solari’s men are now just eight points adrift of Barcelona, after the league leaders’ 2-2 draw against Valencia on Saturday, and The Hard Tackle now runs the rule over the in-form Real Madrid players.

Thibaut Courtois: 7/10

In what was one of the simplest games that Courtois has played in since joining Real Madrid, the summer signing had just one save to make, a moment where he was sharp enough to deny Jony.

Other than that, the Belgian just had to distribute the ball precisely, where he was much improved. As easy as they come, but keeping a clean sheet always makes a goalkeeper feel good.

Alvaro Odriozola: 8/10

A rare start in La Liga was bestowed thanks to Dani Carvajal’s suspension. But, the Spaniard may have done enough to convince Santiago Solari that he deserves more game time, having kept Alaves’ biggest threat on the night, Jony quiet. A constant outlet in the final third, Odriozola linked up well with Karim Benzema.

Would have been disappointed to be denied a goal after producing a sumptuous finish, but the offside call was correct. Odriozola created a telling impact in the game, providing an inch-perfect cross for Mariano Diaz. Might have secured a start in next weekend’s league game against Atletico Madrid.

Nacho: 7/10

Starting in place of the suspended Raphael Varane, Nacho was a solid customer at the heart of the Real Madrid defence, covering up for both Sergio Ramos and Alvaro Odriozola when they forayed forward. Numbers make for an impressive reading – the Spaniard finished with 2 tackles, 3 interceptions, and 2 clearances in a game that the hosts dominated throughout.

Sergio Ramos: 8/10

While Ramos too, was solid at the back, the most remarkable quality about his outing on the night is just how quickly he has shrugged off the knock on his knee. The Real Madrid captain made a couple of key blocks in the first half, threaded in a few defence splitting passes as well. On to the big cup tie against Barcelona.

Sergio Reguilon: 8/10

Reguilon returned in the left-back role he has made his own in recent weeks. Seems to be forging a truly fearsome left flank partnership with Vinicius Jr., with the duo linking up effortlessly. One such link-up saw Vinicius releasing Reguilon before the Spaniard set up Benzema’s goal. Was inches away from scoring his first senior goal in the first half.

Luka Modric: 7/10

Modric was not quite at his best in the entirety of the game on Sunday, particularly early on, when he lost the ball quite sloppily. But, he soon found his feet, pulling the strings in the middle of the park while also producing some exquisite chipped balls. Only a couple of top defensive moments denied him a goal.

Casemiro: 8/10

The biggest reason why Real Madrid dominated the game on Sunday. Casemiro seems to be back to his monstrous best, snuffing out all the danger without making much of an effort. 6 tackles, 4 interceptions, and 2 clearances are testament to just how good he was on the night. Doing his all to keep the in-form Marcos Llorente out of the side, which bodes well for Solari.

Dani Ceballos: 7/10

A blow hot blow cold performance by Ceballos, who started the game slowly before finding his rhythm. Was virtually unstoppable in the second half, winning the balls in the Alaves half while also setting up a few chances. By the end of the game, the young Spaniard had made four key passes and had a passing accuracy of 96% – a superb backup to Toni Kroos and Luka Modric.

Gareth Bale: 5/10

Bale was handed his first start since recovering from a calf injury. But, the Welshman was not involved a great deal, which is quite damning in a match that Real Madrid dominated. The only positive moment saw him being denied by the brilliant Fernando Pacheco. Back to the drawing board.

Karim Benzema: 8/10

There has been very little stopping Karim Benzema from scoring at least one goal lately; Alaves could not stop him either. Showed superb positioning and timing to latch on to Reguilon’s low cross, making it six goals in the last four games for the Frenchman.

Benzema is now up to 10 goals in La Liga this season – double the amount he scored in 10 more games last term. Ought to be given a rest, but Real Madrid just cannot do without him and Vinicius at the moment.

Vinicius Junior: 9/10

The second of Real Madrid’s star attacking duo. If Benzema added to his tally, Vinicius ran the show for the resurgent hosts on Sunday. The Brazilian started off slowly, but soon recovered to become the brightest spark of all the 20 outfield players, showcasing sleek footwork and vision.

The catalyst for the first goal, Vinicius sent Reguilon through on the left flank before Benzema broke the deadlock. For his side’s second, the teenage prodigy displayed tremendous composure to nestle the ball into the back of the net, scoring his first La Liga goal in the process. Looks every bit worth his staggering price tag.

SUBSTITUTES

Marco Asensio: 7/10

Another opportunity from the bench, this was that Asensio grabbed with both hands. Showed rustiness early on before shaking it off to establish a strong connection with Vinicius, for whose goal he ended up providing the assist. Looks better placed than Gareth Bale to battle Lucas Vazquez for the third spot in attack.

Mariano Diaz: 6/10

Mariano made his long awaited return from injury, and understandably lacked sharpness, which was best visible in an air kick while attempting a shot. But, he grafted along before ending the night with a goal – an emphatic header that would have done wonders for his confidence.

Isco: N/A

On the pitch for just a few minutes. But, Isco made quite an impact in his cameo, playing the lovely pass to Odriozola in the lead-up to Mariano’s goal. Nothing more he could have done to impress Solari, as his frustrations continue.