Real Madrid missed another opportunity to take top spot in LaLiga on Saturday evening. Against Rayo Vallecano, Carlo Ancelotti’s men were held to a 3-3 draw. We rated Madrid’s players after the match.
Thibaut Courtois: 7
Thibaut Courtois always raised his game in all the games in which Real Madrid were pushed right from the start. On several occasions, the Belgian goalkeeper saved Real Madrid’s blushes with his saves and his vigilance, often unassisted by his defence.
Aurélien Tchouameni: 6
While Antonio Rüdiger was clearly in trouble, Aurelien Tchouameni stood out for his fine finishing, even though he too was in trouble. The French international preferred in central defence did his best, but it was clearly not enough for a Real Madrid player.
🚨 Rival watch: Rayo Vallecano got denied a clear penalty vs Real Madrid. pic.twitter.com/8R7UjN9ZXq
— Barça Worldwide (@BarcaWorldwide) December 14, 2024
Antonio Rüdiger: 5
It was a complicated match for Antonio Rüdiger. After a difficult start in which Rayo laid siege to the Madrid camp, the German international defender really struggled with Aurélien Tchouameni. Shortly after the first quarter-hour, Rüdiger even had a scare after a failed attempt to dribble into the box. Fortunately, the action went nowhere and the referee refused to award a penalty. The former AS Roma and Chelsea defender was pushed around a little too much tonight against Rayo Vallecano.
Fran Garcia: 3
Struggling against his former club, Fran Garcia – still preferred to Fehland Mendy – put in an average performance. The Real Madrid left-back was at fault for the opening goal. The Real Madrid left-back was at fault for the opening goal and, after being manhandled by Frutos on his flank, never showed any signs of progress during the match.
Lucas Vazquez: 4
Like Fran Garcia, Lucas Vazquez also had an average game on the right. The Spanish international was not entirely blameless for the opening goal either. His slightly overzealous marking of Unai Lopez cost Real Madrid dearly. Until the final whistle, although he tried to get forward, Vazquez had an average game.
Federico Valverde: 7.5
Despite an average Real Madrid performance, Federico Valverde was one of Carlo Ancelotti’s best players. Always tireless in midfield, the Uruguayan even sounded the alarm by reducing the deficit before half-time with a 30-yard missile. His movement, determination and passing have made him an essential part of Ancelotti’s team.
Arda Güler: 5
Once again starting against Rayo this evening, Arda Güler failed to live up to expectations. The young Turkish midfielder was even at fault for Rayo’s second goal. Consumed in aerial duels by Abdul Mumin, Arda Güler also failed to offer anything coherent offensively.
Jude Bellingham: 8
Scorer for the sixth day in a row, Jude Bellingham is Real Madrid’s man of the match. With Kylian Mbappé injured and Vinicius Jr on the bench, he was Real Madrid’s leader against Rayo this evening. The English midfielder did a lot of running, came up with some interesting ideas and, above all, enabled Real Madrid to equalise 2-2 before half-time. This man knows how to do everything.
5️⃣ 🤝 1️⃣1️⃣#RayoRealMadrid pic.twitter.com/BF6Xui4HqY
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) December 14, 2024
Luka Modric: 5.5
At the age of 39, he can’t put in a string of stellar performances every three days. Luka Modric, still in the starting line-up, was fairly discreet against Rayo. The Madrid captain tried his hand at a few things, but he was not clearly successful and was far from his best form.
Brahim Diaz: 4.5
Starting alongside Rodrygo Goes, Brahim Diaz went missing against Rayo this evening. Smothered by the home side’s defence, the Moroccan international struggled to play to his strengths. Diaz was rarely seen and offered nothing offensively in a match in which Real Madrid chased the score.
Rodrygo: 7,5
A little too timid from the start, Rodrygo Goes failed to live up to expectations. One bright spot was his assist for Jude Bellingham’s equaliser in the 45th minute. Once compared to Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo has lost a bit of everything since the arrival of Kylian Mbappé. With the French striker out and Vini on the bench, Goes should have been the leader of Madrid’s attack, but the former Santos striker waited before signalling with a gem in the 55th minute. With an assist and a goal, that’s what you want from a striker, even if his overall performance was average.
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