Vinicius Junior scored in the first half to give Real Madrid the lead in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final. Find the Real Madrid player ratings below.
Thibaut Courtois – 8
Real Madrid depended on their goalie while allowing long-range chances from Man City. He performed admirably, making five stops, but he was powerless to stop De Bruyne’s incredible goal.
Dani Carvajal – 6
Seems more intent on provoking Jack Grealish than on engaging in football. Like the rest of his colleagues, the right-back had a difficult beginning, but things became better as the game went on.
Antonio Rudiger – 7
Performed admirably in keeping Erling Haaland silent. After a forceful challenge as he pressed himself on the opponents, the former Chelsea defender left Ilkay Gundogan crumpled to the ground. In order to stop one of Europe’s most productive teams, he worked closely with David Alaba, and his intensity was essential.
David Alaba – 7
Was cool under pressure as Real Madrid was under Man City’s pressure early on. The greatest moment was when he kept Haaland out of the box with a big sliding block.
Eduardo Camavinga – 7
The teenage midfielder’s tireless effort at left-back. His run and pass enabled Vinicius Jr. to score the first goal for Real Madrid. But De Bruyne’s equalizer was made possible by a poor pass he made.
Toni Kroos – 7
Struggled at times defensively in the holding midfield position, particularly early on when City had the game under control. But as Real came into the game, his quality shined through, playing a crucial part in maintaining his side’s composure with his ball retention.
Luka Modric – 7
Vinicus’ goal was made possible by the midfield master’s skill in releasing Camavinga in the Real Madrid half. Upon his return from injury, he struggled to keep up with City’s enthusiasm while Real was seated back but improved as his team took more chances moving forward.
Federico Valverde – 7
As he occasionally dropped back into the defense, he was given a more defensive position in midfield, which meant that we saw less of him moving forward. Despite showing attacking glimpses of his brilliance, he performed excellently in the back. At the Etihad, as he did during the knockout rounds of last season, he may start farther up the pitch due to his infrequent offensive threat on the occasions he could get forward.
Rodrygo – 7
Kept Man City busy and occasionally showed his forward ability. The other Brazilian for Real was slightly overshadowed by his countryman but posed a real threat to the team. He was forced to subsist on scraps for the majority of the first half due to poor service, but he took advantage of the few opportunities for attacks to assist Los Blancos come back into the game.
Karim Benzema – 7
Last year’s show’s star, Benzema had a more supporting role this time around. played cohesively to assist Real go up the pitch, and if it weren’t for Ruben Dias, the first half goal would have been scored. Deep into the second half, Ederson superbly blocked his header.
Vinicius Junior – 9
Surpassed expectations by scoring an incredible rocket to give Real Madrid the lead. Man City never seemed to be in a good position when he possessed the ball. In a match that had been advertised as a duel between himself and Haaland, the Brazilian stood out the most. Kyle Walker doesn’t frequently have as much stuff to accomplish. a winner of the game. He earned the highest of the Real Madrid Player Ratings.
Subs
Marcos Asensio – 5
Wasn’t on the pitch for long.
Aurelien Tchouameni – 6
Another late introduction that almost grabbed the top spot. He had already struck them for France against England.
Nacho – N/A
During the brief time he was on the pitch, he had nothing to accomplish.
For more player ratings below, click here