Real Madrid Player Ratings vs Villarreal: 8/10 duo Eder Militao, Casemiro stand out; rest get 7 or lower

Eder Militao and Casemiro stood out as Villarreal held Real Madrid to a goalless draw at Estadio de la Ceramica on Saturday.

Both teams traded blows in an eventful first half, with Real Madrid the stronger of the two sides in the game’s opening quarter. But Villarreal created the better chances in the period bar one opening for Gareth Bale, which Geronimo Rulli saved brilliantly.

The second half was all Real Madrid, with Los Blancos engineering several opportunities. But Villarreal defended resolutely, with Rulli’s defiance showing no signs of letting up at any point. In the end, Real Madrid dropped two points, meaning the gap to second place has gone down to four points following Sevilla’s win over Elche on Friday. The Hard Tackle now runs the rule over Carlo Ancelotti’s men.

Thibaut Courtois: 6/10

Courtois had only two shots to save throughout the game, but he commanded his area superbly. That, in turn, ensured that the defenders in front of him largely remained in control, apart from Marcelo’s shortcomings.

Dani Carvajal: 6/10

Carvajal was solid in his defensive work, completing five tackles and two clearances while winning six duels. But his output on the ball was sub-par, which contributed to Real Madrid’s overall poor chance creation in the game.

Eder Militao: 8/10

Eder Militao was nothing short of immense in his defensive display, completing a staggering 11 clearances while finding teammates smartly to evade the Villarreal counter-press. The Brazilian completed 93 per cent of his attempted passes while never looking troubled at the back.

David Alaba: 7/10

Alaba misplaced just one pass all game, but he could not set a quick tempo during build-up play. Having said that, evading the Villarreal counter-press was a solid achievement, while some of his defensive output was impressive.

Marcelo: 3/10

Marcelo came into this match on the back of a solid display against Granada. But the Real Madrid captain endured a game to forget on Saturday, with Samuel Chukwueze giving him nightmares to deal with during the defensive phases. He can count himself lucky to not have been culpable for a Villarreal goal.

Federico Valverde: 6.5/10

Valverde had his struggles in the opening period but grew into the game exponentially after the break. The Uruguayan international’s relentless pressing was crucial in ensuring Real Madrid remained on top for much of the second half. But he needs to do more to earn a regular berth in the side.

Casemiro: 8/10

Casemiro produced a colossal performance in the middle of the park. During Villarreal’s periods of sustained pressure, the Brazilian became an auxiliary centre-back and blocked several shots while making numerous recoveries. His only shortcoming was that he lost the ball cheaply under pressure from the Villarreal attackers.

Toni Kroos: 7/10

Kroos endured a game of two halves as he struggled to carve out the openings in the opening 45 minutes before largely rediscovering his best touch after the interval. The German international completed 94 per cent of his attempted passes, created three chances and opened up play nicely with several long balls. But the game-changing opportunity never came.

Marco Asensio: 4/10

Asensio has enjoyed a solid run of form in recent weeks, but the performance on Saturday was one to forget. The Spaniard never looked like he would make a difference, even though he played three key passes. But for an in-form player, the outing could have been much better.

Gareth Bale: 5/10

Bale got the nod to spearhead the Real Madrid attack, and he got on the end of two superb chances. But the Welshman seemed to have left his finishing boots at home, especially for the big opening in the second half. At his best, Bale would have celebrated a brace at the very least here.

Vinicius Junior: 6/10

As expected, Vinicius Jr. was the most potent outlet for Real Madrid in Karim Benzema’s absence. The Brazilian never shied away from taking on his defender but was always bundled down by a Villarreal man. Shockingly, Vinicius was not awarded a penalty after being elbowed in the face by Raul Albiol. But the youngster could not create a meaningful opening either.

SUBSTITUTES

Luka Jovic: N/A

Jovic replaced Bale with 15 minutes to go but barely touched the ball. With one of his two touches, the Serbian striker was sent clean through on goal by Eden Hazard, but he could only connect with the crossbar with his chip over Rulli.

Rodrygo Goes: N/A

Introduced in place of Asensio, Rodrygo struggled to get into the game in the final stretch.

Luka Modric: N/A

On for Valverde, Modric completed each of his attempted passes but could not create a meaningful chance in his cameo.

Eden Hazard: N/A

Shortly after being introduced, Hazard created the best chance of the game for Jovic, only for the Serb to smash the crossbar with his chipped effort.

Nacho: N/A

A late introduction, Nacho helped see the game out. But the Spaniard came close to breaking the deadlock in injury time, only to be denied off the line by Serge Aurier.