Federico Valverde and Rodrygo Goes stood out as Real Madrid eked a narrow 2-1 win over Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday.
Real Madrid stormed through the gates and dominated the proceedings from the get-go, with Shakhtar Donetsk happy to absorb the pressure. But the visitors’ attempts to play out from the back were futile, as Los Blancos broke the deadlock in the 13th minute.
Aurelien Tchouameni won the ball in the middle of the park before relaying it to Rodrygo Goes. The Brazilian international was fortunate to play a one-two with Shakhtar captain Taras Stepanenko before beating Anatoliy Trubin with a long-range effort. Rodrygo then turned provider to double Real Madrid’s lead midway through the first half.
The 21-year-old was involved in a slick team move along with Karim Benzema and Federico Valverde before laying the ball on for Vinicius Junior. And Vinicius made no error in beating finding the back of the net to double Real Madrid’s advantage. But Shakhtar pulled a goal back ahead of half-time through a brilliant scissor kick by Oleksandr Zubkov.
Real Madrid remained on top of the proceedings for much of the remainder of the game. But the hosts were wasteful in front of the Shakhtar goal, keeping the Ukrainian giants in contention to clinch a point. That was not to be for Igor Jovicevic’s men as Real Madrid saw the game out effortlessly and extended their perfect start to the UEFA Champions League title defence. The Hard Tackle now runs the rule over Carlo Ancelotti’s men.
👔 @MrAncelotti: "I'm satisfied because I think we played really well, combining well and looking to press up front. We had a lot of chances that we didn't take advantage of. But the important thing is that we created them."#UCL pic.twitter.com/hXG9pa4Xi5
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) October 5, 2022
Andriy Lunin: 6/10
Lunin’s hunt for his first Real Madrid clean sheet continued on Wednesday as Oleksandr Zubkov beat him with a brilliant scissor kick. But the Ukrainian goalkeeper could not have done anything to deny the Shakhtar striker.
Dani Carvajal: 6/10
Carvajal was one of two Real Madrid players who had an average outing against Shakhtar Donetsk. The Spanish international worked hard on and off the ball, but he gave Oleksiy Mykhaylychenko too much room to cross the ball in for Zubkov when Shakhtar pulled a goal back. Otherwise, he was decent for the most part.
Eder Militao: 7/10
Eder Militao was a rock at the back for Real Madrid, winning nine duels while completing several crucial defensive interventions. He also efficiently helped build play from the back, misplacing only four passes. The healthy competition at the back for Real Madrid continues.
David Alaba: 6/10
Alaba had a solid outing for the most part, but he should have done better to mark Zubkov for Shakhtar’s goal. Otherwise, the Austrian international was adventurous and produced four key passes on the night. He also completed 91 per cent of his attempted plays but will be gutted to have played his part in Real Madrid conceding the goal.
Ferland Mendy: 7/10
Mendy barely had any defensive work to take care of on Wednesday. And that meant he could support Vinicius Junior in the final third more than he usually does. The Frenchman’s output can still improve, but he was a solid support cast nonetheless. Mendy also produced a brilliant challenge to deny Mykhaylo Mudryk.
Federico Valverde: 9/10
Federico Valverde created 7 chances against Shakhtar, no player created more in a single #UCL game this week.
And he was still flying into tackles. 😤 pic.twitter.com/gL3mFc7lCf
— Squawka (@Squawka) October 5, 2022
Valverde is becoming an unstoppable force for Real Madrid, making it impossible for Ancelotti to drop him. The Uruguayan international was in his element, playing a game-high seven key passes. Valverde was heavily involved in most moves, including the one that finished with Vinicius Junior’s strike. He has made the right-hand side of the pitch his own.
Aurelien Tchouameni: 8/10
Tchouameni was a part of an excellent Real Madrid midfield that barely gave an inch. The only shortcoming in his solid showing was when Shakhtar overran him in the build-up to Zubkov’s goal. But the Frenchman was top-notch otherwise, misplacing only one pass while starting the move for Rodrygo Goes’s strike.
Toni Kroos: 7/10
Kroos produced an efficient, even if unspectacular, performance on Wednesday as he helped assert Real Madrid’s control of the proceedings. The German playmaker ran the show from the middle of the park, completing all but two of his attempted passes. He also created a few chances but was involved at the start of the build-up play more often than not.
Rodrygo Goes: 9/10
Rodrygo has 11 goals in 30 Champions League matches ⚽️#UCL pic.twitter.com/XsYiGeKzXO
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) October 5, 2022
Rodrygo has been coming into his own this season. And the performance on Wednesday was another step in the right direction. Ancelotti handed him a free role, which brought the best out of him, as he scored one and assisted one goal. Rodrygo’s in-game awareness is improving with each passing outing.
Karim Benzema: 8/10
Benzema was the player to watch in our preview, and he enjoyed a solid outing on Wednesday. While the Real Madrid captain did not get on the score sheet, he was the heart and soul of the offensive unit against Shakhtar. He was involved in the build-up to Vinicius Junior’s goal, but he might feel he could have done better with a few of his shots.
Vinicius Junior: 8/10
Vinicius Junior was in the mood to stamp his authority on the game. And the Brazilian attacker made his mark by scoring Real Madrid’s second goal of the night. But he might feel he could have done better to find the back of the net more often, considering he aimed eight other shots at Trubin. Nonetheless, he was sensational and showed remarkable chemistry with Benzema and Rodrygo.
Vinicius Junior’s game by numbers vs. Shakhtar Donetsk:
100% tackles won
100% aerial duels won
82 touches
11/16 ground duels won
5/8 dribbles completed
4 shots on target
1 key pass
1 goalExcellent performance. 🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/xaHwRWdu0t
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) October 5, 2022
SUBSTITUTES
Eduardo Camavinga: N/A
Camavinga came on for the impressive Tchouameni and helped Real Madrid remain in control of the proceedings in the final 15 minutes.
Marco Asensio: N/A
Asensio replaced Rodrygo for the final ten minutes and came close to scoring once, smashing the woodwork.
