Real Madrid were held to a 1-1 draw against Girona in La Liga on Sunday, with Luka Modric and Toni Kroos being sub-par.
Real Madrid conceded a late penalty which allowed Girona to secure a vital point right at the end. The draw leaves them just one point clear of Barcelona at the top of the table after Barcelona beat Valencia on Saturday.
Carlo Ancelotti will be thoroughly disappointed with his team’s performance in a game they were expected to win comfortably.
The last time these two sides met at the Santiago Bernabeu, Girona picked up a win. And they have now managed to add to their impressive record at the Bernabeu with a draw with Real Madrid.
Vinicius Junior gave his side the lead on the 70th minute, but Real Madrid failed to build on it and missed a number of opportunities. Late substitute Marco Asensio conceded a penalty, which was despatched by Cristhian Stuani on the 80th minute.
Midfielder Toni Kroos was also shown the red card for a second bookable offence in the second half. Here at The Hard Tackle, we look at how the Real Madrid players fared in the game.
🏁 FT: @realmadriden 1-1 @GironaFC_INTL
⚽ @vinijr 70'; Stuani (p) 80'#RealMadridGirona | #Emirates pic.twitter.com/rUUZWX687X— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) October 30, 2022
Thibaut Courtois: 6.5/10
The Belgian international could not stop the penalty from going in, but he did make a number of important saves prior to that. Courtois preserved his side’s one-goal advantage by denying Valery Fernandez. Overall, a solid display.
🗣️ @thibautcourtois: "At 1-0 in the second half, you feel like you're going to win it. But unfortunately then the penalty was given and we weren't able to come back."#RealMadridGirona pic.twitter.com/Zrz3JKRsE4
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) October 30, 2022
Dani Carvajal: 5/10
Carvajal returned to the side here and was expected to put on a show. Instead, the Spaniard struggled against Fernandez, and it looks like he is not back to a 100% yet and will need time to fully recover from his injury.
Antonio Rudiger: 6/10
Rudiger defended reasonably well throughout the game and had the chance to score a late goal. However, the German international failed to make proper contact with the ball.
David Alaba: 5/10
The Austrian international has not been at his best this season, and it was another sub-par performance from him on the night. Girona did get some joy while attacking Alaba’s side, but he did not make any notable errors.
Ferland Mendy: 4/10
Mendy was lacking in sharpness and careless in possession. The Frenchman could not impact the game going forward either. He is a far better player than he showed against Girona.
Luka Modric: 5/10
The Croat struggled to dictate the tempo of the game and misplaced passes, which is extremely uncharacteristic of him. It seems that the absence of a ball-winner affected Modric’s performance.
Eduardo Camavinga: 5/10
Camavinga started ahead of Aurelien Tchouameni, and the move did not benefit Real Madrid at all. The Frenchman is no defensive midfielder, and he failed to break up the opposition play. He was not too comfortable in possession either.
Toni Kroos: 4/10
Kroos pulled off some classic long-range passes here and there but made no notable impact overall. The German playmaker was booked for a rash tackle on Yan Couto and was given his marching orders late on after another bookable offence.
Federico Valverde: 8/10
The Uruguayan international has been sensational for Real Madrid this season, and he was omnipresent against Girona. Valverde linked up well with the attackers in the final third and dropped to central midfield to help out Modric and Kroos as well. Overall, a fine performance.
10 – @fedeevalverde 🇺🇾 has been involved in ten goals with @realmadriden this season in all competitions (10 goals, three assists), more than in the previous two seasons entire (seven: four goals, three assists). Offensive. pic.twitter.com/MUNkoru2yl
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) October 30, 2022
Vinicius Junior: 6.5/10
Vinicius, the player to watch in our preview, scored the only goal of the game for his side. He worked hard in the first half but struggled to create any meaningful chances. Got better as the game went on.
Rodrygo Goes: 6/10
Rodrygo had the opportunity to score more than once. He looked lively in the first half and was denied by the woodwork. The Brazilian could have scored a late winner, but his effort was adjudged as a foul on the keeper.
SUBSTITUTES
Mariano Diaz: N/A
Mariano came on too late to make a meaningful impact.
Eder Militao: N/A
Eder Militao came on too late to make a meaningful impact.
Marco Asensio: 4/10
Asensio was brought on to help Real Madrid create chances and increase their advantage. Instead, he gave away a penalty from a handball, which allowed Girona to level the game.
