Real Madrid player ratings as Benzema gets a 3 and Asensio an 8 against Espanyol

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  • Real Madrid secured a narrow 1-0 win over Espanyol at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday night.

    Marco Asensio scored the only goal of the game in the 41st minute with Gareth Bale rested for the encounter.

    Here, we rate the performances of the Madrid players.

    STARTING XI

    Thibaut Courtois – Had a routine save to make as Hernan Perez’s shot was straight at him. Wasn’t tested enough thanks to Espanyol’s wayward shooting. 6

    Alvaro Odriozola – His pace helped him get back into defence quickly as he spent much of his time bombing forward. Good on the ball and didn’t put a foot wrong. 6

    Raphael Varane – Was caught out of position a couple of times in the transition. Didn’t really standout in this game. 5

    Sergio Ramos – Threatened the goal with a header which went wide and a fierce shot that hit Karim Benzema. However, he put his own goal in danger too when he was dispossessed as the last man on one occasion and with his positioning at times. Made some good tackles and passes though. 6

    Nacho – Got around his opposite full-back on one occasion and put a good ball in but largely failed to offer anywhere near the threat Marcelo poses from left-back. 5

    Luka Modric – A mixed bag on the night with a couple of wayward passes thrown in with some excellent play. His deflected pass led to Asensio’s goal. 6

    Casemiro – Should’ve done better with his header from a corner in the first half. Anchored the midfield well and got forward on occasion as well. 6

    Dani Ceballos – One of his better performances in a Madrid shirt as he played four key passes, more than anyone else on the pitch despite only playing 62 minutes. Showed quick feet at times as well. 7

    Isco – A bit of a frustrating night for the Spaniard. He played well, creating chances and coming close on a couple occasions himself but it just wouldn’t happen for him. Still a good display though. 7

    Karim Benzema – The Karim Benzema of recent seasons showed up on this occasion. A quiet outing as his 23 touches suggests. Was ineffective and substituted before the hour mark. 3

    Marco Asensio – Easily Madrid’s chief threat. An excellent finish for his goal and consistently looked to get in behind the defence. 8

    SUBS

    Mariano Diaz – Replaced Benzema and was miles more effective. Ran the channels well and should’ve had an assist after creating a couple of great chances. 7

    Lucas Vazquez – Came on for Ceballos and didn’t make much of an impact. 5

    Marcos Llorente – Should’ve done better with a late chance. N/A

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