Ranking and Grading Real Madrid Players on Champions League Performances so Far
Real Madrid have already secured their place in the knockout rounds of this year’s Champions League with four wins from four group-stage matches to date.
The competition holders easily saw off Basel in their opener, before recording a tightly contested 2-1 win away to Ludogorets. Comfortable victories home and away to Liverpool guaranteed them a place in the last 16.
Carlo Ancelotti now has the luxury of resting players as required during the final two rounds of matches in Group B.
The following slides look at how each Madrid player has performed in the Champions League so far this season.
Only players who have spent a total of 60 or more minutes on the pitch have been included.
All statistics are as per WhoScored unless otherwise noted.
Goalkeepers
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Iker Casillas: B
Iker Casillas has had a very solid Champions League campaign to date, conceding just twice in four matches.
He stayed up big to make a good close-range save from Derlis Gonzalez in the opener against Basel and made a couple of impressive saves in the away win over Ludogorets.
He was, though, partially at fault for the Ludogorets goal from an early set piece.
The 33-year-old had very little to do in the double header with Liverpool, but he did what was expected of him when called upon. After a slightly shaky opening to the season, he is now firmly established as Madrid’s No. 1.
Full-Backs
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Marcelo: A
Marcelo performed superbly in Real Madrid’s 1-0 win at home to Liverpool on Tuesday. He was relatively untroubled defensively and was a constant menace when he moved forward into the final third.
He provided the assist for the only goal of the match with a perfect drilled cross from the left, and set up further chances for both Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale. The latter struck the crossbar with his effort from Marcelo’s precise pull-back.
The Brazilian also performed well in the win at Anfield and provided the assist for Benzema’s late winner away to Ludogorets.
He was caught a step behind Derlis Gonzalez for Basel’s goal in the 5-1 opening-day win in Madrid and his defensive work with a little uncertain away to Ludogorets. But overall, Marcelo has been very good in the Champions League so far this season.
Alvaro Arbeloa: B-
Alvaro Arbeloa does not provide the same forward thrust as regular Madrid right-back Dani Carvajal, but his defensive smarts have seen him start three times in the Champions League this season.
He has been neat and tidy in possession and solid defensively each time, with his performance away to Liverpool probably his best of the campaign to date.
The 31-year-old has, on a per-match basis, given away more free-kicks than any other Madrid player, but he does lead the club in successful tackles per match, with five.
It must also be noted that he was guilty of losing track of Marcelinho in the win away to Ludogorets, allowing the midfielder to head in a flicked-on corner and give the home side an early lead.
Nacho Fernandez: B-
The versatile Nacho Fernandez started at right-back in Madrid’s opening-day victory over Basel and then made brief substitute appearances home and away to Liverpool.
He defended soundly against Basel and put a few decent crosses into the area when he advanced into the final third. Most notably, Nacho’s low cross was deflected into his own net by Basel’s Marek Suchy for the first goal of the match.
He did what was expected of him in his late cameos against Liverpool. Solid but unspectacular, he is likely to spend the majority of the campaign on the bench.
Centre-Backs
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Raphael Varane: A
Raphael Varane has generally been forced to play second fiddle to the established partnership of Pepe and Sergio Ramos in league play, but the young Frenchman has been handed starts in three of the four Champions League matches to date.
He was also involved for the final 25 minutes or so of the opening-day win over Basel.
Varane was excellent in both matches against Liverpool, making use of his strength and pace to swiftly cut out danger. In Tuesday’s match, the manner in which he confidently stepped in front of Lazar Markovic to prevent the Serbian from running through on goal was highly impressive.
He also provided quality distribution from the back, passing crisply into midfield and accurately executing a couple of longer balls forward.
The 21-year-old also performed solidly alongside a shaky Ramos in the win over Ludogorets.
Pepe: B
Pepe has made two starts in the Champions League so far this season and has done a decent job on both occasions.
He was solid alongside Ramos in the opening-day victory over Basel and then, after a slightly hesitant opening, he formed a strong partnership with Varane away to Liverpool.
He was rested from the starting XI against Ludogorets and again at home to Liverpool on Tuesday.
Sergio Ramos: B-
Sergio Ramos performed well alongside Pepe in the win over Basel, but he endured a more difficult evening away to Ludogorets.
He gave the ball away in dangerous areas far too often and was also easily turned on three or four occasions after committing himself too readily to challenges. He was booked during the second half after being outwitted by Wanderson on the halfway line.
He missed the win away to Liverpool through injury but returned to the starting XI in the return match on Tuesday, performing well in a strong and proactive display.
Central Midfielders
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Luka Modric: A-
Luka Modric began his Champions League campaign by playing a key role in two of Real Madrid’s five goals in their opening-day victory at home to Basel.
He split the away defence with a superb, outside-of-the-boot pass to Gareth Bale for the second goal and then found his ex-Tottenham Hotspur teammate once more in the build-up to the third, scored by Cristiano Ronaldo.
Although he was a little sloppy in possession on a couple of occasions—as, indeed, he was against Liverpool on Tuesday—the incisiveness of his passes that did connect were sufficient to balance out his intermittent lapses.
Like most of Madrid’s players, Modric was not particularly impressive in the win away to Ludogorets, but he returned to form for the double header with Liverpool. He and Toni Kroos controlled the tempo in both matches.
Toni Kroos: B+
Toni Kroos was not particularly influential in Madrid’s win over Basel and only appeared as a substitute for the final 20 minutes of the victory away to Ludogorets.
He was, though, far more central in their successes home and away to Liverpool.
He provided the assist for the second goal in the win at Anfield with a whipped cross to the far post headed in by Karim Benzema. He and Modric took control in the centre of the pitch and allowed Madrid to cruise to victory.
On Tuesday, he was a metronomic presence in midfield, completing a team-high 120 passes with a 95 per cent accuracy rate. He pitched in with three interceptions and a team-high six tackles in defence.
The Germany international seems to be improving on a game-by-game basis. The partnership between him and Modric is likely to prove key to Madrid’s chances of successfully defending their Champions League crown.
Asier Illarramendi: C
Asier Illarramendi made late substitute appearances against both Basel and Liverpool (away), in which he helped Madrid see out the final stages of comfortable victories.
But he failed to make a strong case for regular inclusion in Carlo Ancelotti’s starting XI when he was given the opportunity to start away to Ludogorets.
His distribution was generally safe and secure—indeed, he completed 97.5 per cent of his passes—but he did give the ball away in dangerous areas on a couple of occasions. He also provided little resistance when Ludogorets attacked with pace through the centre of the pitch.
Attacking Midfielders
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James Rodriguez: B+
James Rodriguez played a part in Real Madrid’s first Champions League goal of the season, releasing Nacho Fernandez with a neat backheel for the cross deflected into his own net by Basel’s Marek Suchy.
He then scored Madrid’s fourth goal of that match, tapping in from close range after Karim Benzema’s shot had been parried into his path.
He came on for the final quarter hour against Ludogorets, before starting in the matches home and away to Liverpool.
The young Colombian produced a superb assist for Cristiano Ronaldo’s opener in the match at Anfield with a beautifully weighted flicked pass, and then set up three chances in and around the area during the return in Madrid on Tuesday.
There are still times when he forgoes a forward pass in favour of a safer option, but Rodriguez seems to be growing in confidence as the weeks go by. Alongside Isco, he can be expected to play an important role in the remainder of Madrid’s Champions League campaign.
Isco: B+
His Champions League performances haven’t quite reached the heights of some of his recent league displays—most notably in the Clasico win over Barcelona—but Isco has done a good job in each of his three starts in Europe.
He consistently looked to move forward in possession in the win away to Ludogorets and set up a couple of missed chances for Javier Hernandez. He was less involved in the matches against Liverpool, but still performed to an admirable standard.
The 22-year-old, who was excellent in Malaga’s run to the quarter finals of the Champions League in 2013, will hope to become more of an influence as this year’s competition progresses.
Forwards
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Cristiano Ronaldo: A-
Three goals in four starts would be considered a pretty good haul for most forwards, but Cristiano Ronaldo will probably be a tad disappointed with his Champions League output so far this season.
He performed superbly in the home victory over Basel and again in the away win over Liverpool, scoring a beautifully taken goal in the latter. He was a regular menace to both defences.
Ronaldo was decent against Ludogorets, scoring from the penalty spot after going down under minimal contact inside the area and having another effort cleared off the line. However, he had earlier missed another penalty and was not at his best for the majority of the match.
He was also a little under-par on Tuesday. He gave the ball away with five loose first touches, went to ground far too easily on two or three occasions and had one terrible free-kick easily cleared. His incredible 12-match scoring streak came to an end.
Yet he still forced Simon Mignolet into one excellent stop early on and had a couple of decent set-piece efforts saved. Even when he is not firing on all cylinders, Ronaldo remains Real Madrid’s primary goal threat.
Gareth Bale: C+
Gareth Bale began his Champions League campaign with a goal and an assist in the 5-1 home win over Basel, but he was far less impressive away to Ludogorets on matchday 2.
He was uninvolved for much of the match and, apart from one strong header well-saved, he did little of note when the ball did come his way. He was ranked as one of Madrid’s worst players by ESPNFC, Goal.com and WhoScored.
Bale then missed the first match against Liverpool through injury, but he did look lively on his return to the side in his half hour on the pitch in the return fixture on Tuesday. He struck the crossbar with a good effort from Marcelo’s cutback and had an on-target free-kick parried away by Mignolet.
Madrid’s superb recent form has largely coincided with Bale’s absence from the team. He needs a couple of strong performances in order to re-establish himself in the starting XI.
Strikers
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Karim Benzema: A+
Karim Benzema has enjoyed an excellent Champions League campaign to date. He is Real Madrid’s top scorer in the competition, with five goals from three starts and one substitute appearance, and he has also impressed with his overall contribution.
With his varied movement across the line and neat interplay with teammates, Benzema acts as a mobile focal point for the side.
His importance was illustrated by the slightly awkward manner in which Madrid attacked when he was rested from the starting XI away to Ludogorets. And, indeed, by Benzema’s impact off the bench and winning goal in that same match.
The Frenchman is yet to pick up an assist in this year’s competition, but he does lead Madrid in key passes, a flawed but at least partially illustrative measure of the number of chances he has laid on for his teammates.
Javier Hernandez: C-
Javier Hernandez endured a difficult evening on his first Champions League start for Madrid, away to Ludogorets. He did win an early penalty, missed by Cristiano Ronaldo, but then went on to spurn two or three chances, including a guilt-edged opportunity from Isco’s low ball across the area.
He is much more of an out-and-out poacher than Benzema and looks better suited to a bench role. He was given late cameos against both Basel and Liverpool (at home), but had little time to do anything of particular note.
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