Real Madrid Player Ratings vs Shakhtar Donetsk: 3/10 Varane flops; Asensio, Odegaard the only positives

Raphael Varane was woeful while Marco Asensio did well as Real Madrid succumbed to a shock 2-0 defeat to Shakhtar Donetsk in the UEFA Champions League.

Real Madrid started the game as the better team with Marco Asensio being denied by the woodwork early on before Shakhtar Donetsk goalkeeper Trubin saved a close-range effort from the Spaniard, after having already stopped a shot from the returning Karim Benzema.

Post the half-time break though, things went horribly wrong for Los Blancos as Dentinho capitalised on a mistake from Raphael Varane to put the hosts ahead. With Real Madrid pushing for an equaliser, spaces were left in behind and Shakhtar made the most of it as substitute Manor Solomon made it 2-0 to cap off a brilliant counterattack.

The defeat leaves Zinedine Zidane’s men in the third place in Group B, with qualification to the next round in real jeopardy. And here’s how we rated the performances of the Real Madrid stars after another disappointing defeat.

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Thibaut Courtois: 6/10

Had little to do in terms of saves in the first half, but was alert when called into action by Taison early in the second period. Made a straightforward stop to keep Tete out at 1-0 and wasn’t at fault for either of the hosts’ goals on the night.

Lucas Vazquez: 5/10

Offered a decent outlet on the right and looked fairly solid at the back when needed. However, was on the wane after the break and should have done better in the lead-up to Shakhtar’s second of the night.

Raphael Varane: 3/10

Never really looked comfortable going up against Junior Moraes in the first period and was booked for fouling him, which meant he was walking the disciplinary tightrope for the rest of the game. Could have easily been sent off after a similar foul on Dentinho in the first half.

Inexplicably let the ball roll past him and into Dentinho’s path after Ferland Mendy had made an interception, with the Shakhtar man making the most of his clumsy mistake. Did make a key block on Taras Stepanenko’s shot soon after. No player has made more mistakes leading to goals in the Champions League in 2020 than Varane.

Nacho: 5/10

Starting ahead of Eder Militao once again, the Real Madrid cantera wasn’t secure enough at the back. Poor pass in the first half put Varane under pressure, leading to the latter getting booked. Should have put his team ahead early in the second half but headed over. Not solid enough.

Ferland Mendy: 6/10

The Frenchman was a regular outlet down the left-hand side for Real Madrid in the first half, as he swung in a few dangerous crosses. More subdued after the break, although he did draw a save from Trubin. Partly at blame for Shakhtar’s opener as his interception fell into the danger area, allowing Dentinho to pounce.

Luka Modric: 6/10

Showed good energy and mobility in the middle, breaking up play effectively in the first half, while also dictating the tempo with his distribution. Brilliant pass to set Benzema up for a chance. However, much like the rest of his teammates, faded after half-time as the hosts grew in confidence. Ended the game with the most interceptions (5).

Toni Kroos: 6/10

Kept things ticking in the middle of the park with his precise passing (86 of 93 completed) and managed to play three key passes as well. However, did not offer enough protection to the backline, allowing the Shakhtar players to run at the defence way too often.

Rodrygo: 5.5/10

Showed a lot of endeavour and some neat skills on the right flank but there was no end product to back it up with. Rodrygo, completed the most number of dribbles on the night (4), although, none of them led to anything meaningful for Real Madrid.

Martin Odegaard: 7/10

A step in the right direction for the Norwegian international, who looked very bright in the first half. Always provided a passing option to his teammates, while being accurate with his own distribution. Created three chances in the game – the joint-highest, including the one Asensio had saved in the first period.

Marco Asensio: 7/10

A livewire start to the game for Asensio as he struck the woodwork with a fine effort before being denied a goal by a fine save from Trubin, after some lovely link-up play with Odegaard. Looked busy and tried to make things happen each time he got on the ball, but seemed to peter out after the second half and was taken off. Still, much better than he has looked for quite some time.

Karim Benzema: 6/10

Back into the starting XI after missing the last few matches due to injury, the Frenchman started well, setting Asensio up for the early chance. Showed glimpses of quality in his link-up play and took aim at goal on a couple of occasions but was denied. Faded in the second half.

Substitutes

Isco: N/A

Replaced Odegaard in the 77th minute. Not enough time to make an impact.

Mariano Diaz: N/A

Came on for Benzema with less than 15 minutes on the clock. Hardly got a look-in.

Vinicius Junior: N/A

Looked lively and tried to make things happen in the final third after replacing compatriot Rodrygo but couldn’t make an impact.