Despite Real Madrid’s latest draw against Atlético at the Santiago Bernabéu in La Liga’s 23rd matchday, three of Carlo Ancelotti’s players delivered outstanding performances. After the final whistle, praise kept pouring in for them.
It was undoubtedly the biggest clash of the weekend in Europe. Under the watchful eyes of Argentina’s head coach, Lionel Scaloni, and England’s, Thomas Tuchel, Real Madrid and Atlético engaged in a fierce battle on Saturday night. In the race for the La Liga title, the two capital city rivals gave their all to secure the three points, but to no avail. After 90 minutes of regulation time and three minutes of added time, the final score was 1-1. While Madridistas lament this result due to yet another controversial refereeing decision, many are applauding the performances of three of Carlo Ancelotti’s players.
Raúl Asensio at number one
While the entire team fought hard to avoid a negative outcome, young Raúl Asensio’s performance cannot go unnoticed. In the absence of Antonio Rüdiger, David Alaba, and Éder Militão—the usual starting centre-backs who are currently injured—the 21-year-old defender proved that he fully deserves a starting spot at Real Madrid. Right from the start, Asensio made two crucial interventions, asserting his presence and reassuring his teammates.
With his pace, aggression, and remarkable game intelligence, he excelled in his position, also allowing Aurélien Tchouaméni to put in a solid display. Winning all three of his ground duels and both of his aerial duels, Raúl Asensio was the true leader of the defence.
Boasting an impressive 96% passing accuracy (49/51), two tackles, zero dribbles conceded, no fouls committed, and only two lost possessions, the young defender delivered a flawless performance. He will undoubtedly give Ancelotti selection headaches once Militão and Alaba return.
Dani Ceballos, the other standout performer
For weeks now, the Spanish midfielder has been in sensational form at Madrid. Once again starting on Saturday night, Dani Ceballos tormented the Colchoneros. He completed all five of his attempted through balls, created a big chance, had one shot on target, successfully completed all three of his dribble attempts, won three tackles, and triumphed in nine out of 12 ground duels. The former Real Betis man was Madrid’s best midfielder on the pitch. He recorded 124 touches and completed 101 of his 102 attempted passes, outshining the other midfielders.
In fact, as highlighted by football statistics website Squawka following the 1-1 draw in the derby, Dani Ceballos is the only player to have recorded a passing accuracy of 99% or higher. Since making his debut for Real Madrid in the 2017/18 season, there have been 366 instances where a player attempted over 100 passes in a La Liga match. For Ancelotti, having Ceballos in his squad is simply a blessing. The Spaniard is now set to play a crucial role in this team.
Rodrygo Goes, Madrid’s best attacker in recent weeks
At Real Madrid, Kylian Mbappé keeps scoring goals, and Vinicius Junior dazzles both on and off the pitch. Meanwhile, Rodrygo Goes, who doesn’t enjoy the same level of stardom as his attacking teammates, has been delivering exceptional performances since December. Deployed on the right wing on Saturday, the Brazilian forward was the standout player in attack. While Madrid’s play often leans towards Vinicius Junior’s flank—where Kylian Mbappé also thrives—things were different against Atlético Madrid.
So dynamic on the ball, every dangerous attack flowed through Rodrygo, who dictated play on his side of the pitch. To prove his impact, it was his involvement that led to Kylian Mbappé’s equaliser. With his pace and dribbling ability, the forward has shown he is currently Madrid’s most complete attacking player.
Unfortunately, the immense popularity of Mbappé and Vinicius has pushed Rodrygo into the background in Carlo Ancelotti’s eyes. Once again, the coach substituted him for Brahim Díaz, despite the Brazilian being Madrid’s best attacking player on the night.
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