Real Madrid bounced back from their defeat to Celta Vigo in the Copa del Rey with a 2-1 victory against Malaga at the Santiago Bernabeu in La Liga. Los Blancos played a full strength team in a bid to win the game and keep a narrow 1 point lead at the top of the league table.
Two goals from their captain Sergio Ramos from two set pieces gave Real Madrid the win despite Malaga’s Juanpi scoring one in the second half. Here are the player ratings for the game
Real Madrid
Keylor Navas – 7/10
Keylor Navas had a good game in the Real Madrid goal although it wasn’t his best. He came up trumps on most occasions he was called up for. He made a good save in the 18th minute from a Castro effort and in the second half, made a number of crucial stops to deny Malaga a goal.
He made a couple of back to back punches to thwart the danger in the 60th minute followed by a brilliant stop to his left to deny Chory Castro scoring in the 64th minute. If it wasn’t for Keylor Navas’ saves Malaga would and should have scored another.
Sergio Ramos – 8.5/10
What a game from ‘El Capitano’. While his defending was solid, he popped up with not one but two goals in the game, both from set pieces. Kroos’ delivery found Ramos unmarked in the box and the defender attacked the ball, heading in a powerful effort into goal in the 35th minute.
He later met Kroos’ free-kick, before anybody else, with a sliding prod into the goal in the 42nd minute. He kept things tight at the back and single-handedly gave his team the three points in the game. He has now scored 50 La Liga goals – only the 4th defender in the league's history to do so.
Rafael Varane – 7/10
Varane was calm and composed in the game, delivering a consistent performance again. He barely put a foot wrong, did not venture out with the ball to often, dealt with aerial threats and supported Sergio Ramos well. He is surely adding to his tag of the best young defender in the world.
Nacho – 7.5/10
Nacho should start more games for Real Madrid. He is a smart, tenacious and tactical defender and proved it again tonight. He started on the right but was then moved to the left of a 3 man defence for Los Blancos after Marcelo’s injury.
Nacho expertly defended a Malaga counter in the 15th minute and then warded off Penaranda in the 32nd minute in his own box. The Spanish defender also chipped in going forward with a good cross in the 58th minute. Nacho is a brilliant 1v1 defender, much like Cezar Azpilicueta of Chelsea and Zidane made a good move by picking him instead of the error-prone Danilo, while Carvajal remains injured.
Marcelo – 5.5/10
Played well enough for 24 minutes but then got injured and was substituted immediately.
Casemiro – 6.5/10
Casemiro was effective breaking things down in midfield. He stopped a number of Malaga attacks and counter-attacks and tidied up well holding the midfield. He got booked for a rash challenge in the 36th and was careful from then on.
Toni Kroos – 7.5/10
Toni Kroos was vital to Real Madrid’s win tonight. He assisted both the goals for Sergio Ramos from set pieces and was a menace with through passes and great build up play all game. Particular highlights from the German were – his through pass to Ronaldo in the 11th minute, his ball to Benzema from the right flank in the 25th minute and his cross brilliant cross to Ronaldo in the 86th minute – but they did not lead to goals.
Two assists and great all round play from the German.
Luka Modric – 7/10
Modric played a critical yet un-glorified role in midfield in this game. He was the primary passer of the ball and kept Madrid ticking. He began every good move for Real Madrid and kept the ball moving all game. He was substituted in the 77th minute for Kovacic to assure things up. In all it was a good and solid game from the Croatian.
Cristiano Ronaldo – 6/10
This just wasn’t Cristiano Ronaldo’s night. He started his record 250th La Liga game for Real Madrid and started brightly in the first half after going through 1v1 against Kameni, after Kroos slipped him in, but he could only force Kameni into a save.
The forward was kept quiet after that in the first half by Malaga. However, he did spring to life again in the last 20 minutes of the game. He should have scored after Kameni made an absolute howler, but the keeper saved his effort in the 74th minute.
He then found space in the box again in the 75th minute but was denied by the upright while Kameni was rooted. Ronaldo then had two more chances in the 80th and 86th minute but did not score.
Karim Benzema – 5.5/10
Benzema had an off game for Real Madrid. He was played in by Kroos in the 25th minute but lashed a shot wide. He tried to get into good positions but the Malaga defence expertly dealt with the French forward giving him no space or time on the ball.
Lucas Vázquez – 6.5/10
Lucas Vasquez is a good player but we’ve yet to see him make a jump to the world-class bracket. He did create a good chance for himself in the 23rd minute with a run and shot and he won the corner that resulted in the Sergio Ramos goal. However, he did fade out as the game wore on.
Substitutes
Isco – 5.5/10
Isco came on for Marcelo after his injury in the 24th minute but he failed to make a useful impact in the game. However, he did win the free-kick that led to Sergio Ramos’ 2nd goal and he put one good cross to Ronaldo in the 75th minute after dribbling his way out of trouble, but the Portuguese star only hit the post.
Kovacic – 6/10
Kovacic came on for Modric in the 77th minute and assured the midfield. He made sure Malaga did not score more than one goal with his positioning and industry and saw out the game for his side.
Alvaro Morata – 5.5/10
Morata came on late for Benzema and put himself about, but he could not get a clear chance except for a header that went wide at the 90+1’ mark.
Malaga
Carlos Kameni – 5/10
Kameni had a strange game for Malaga. He did make a few standard saves and a lot of good ones but he had a couple of moments of madness in goal. He made a great save from Ronaldo’s shot in the 11th minute and a good save from Vasquez in the 23rd minute but could do nothing to stop both Sergio Ramos goals.
Kameni then made an absolute howler in the 74th minute, after a simple back pass and then scurried back to clear the ball before it went into goal. The ball went straight to Ronaldo but the keeper got up in time to make save. That was sheer madness, but he did recover.
Rosales – 6/10
Rosales was up against Cristiano Ronaldo and after the Portuguese star got the better of him in the 10th minute and had a shot, Rosales recovered and kept the Madrid talisman quiet in the game until the 70th minute. However, he was rash to challenge Isco in the first half which led to Ramos’ second goal. He did get into good positions on the overlap but his crossing was poor.
Luis Munoz – 6/10
Munoz was solid in the air and dealt with situations well at the back for Malaga. He showed a lot of bravery and composure despite being inexperienced in the La Liga. A couple of late tackles to deny Isco in the 90th minute showed his concentration levels as well.
Juan Carlos (Juankar) – 7/10
Juan Carlos or Juankar as his jersey reads, was explosive with his runs from left back and was a constant threat down the left for Malaga. It was his brilliant burst of pace down the left and shot on target that led to the ball falling to Juanpi for the goal that Malaga scored. However, he did get injured later on.
Mikel Villanueva – 6.5/10
Villanueva made sure Malaga’s defence was organised and compact. He kept it tidy and tight at the back offering little space to Benzema and Ronaldo which led to the pair having a goalless night. He did almost concede an own goal as Benzema’s cross bounced off him in the 46th minute and hit the post, but it was a necessary intervention. His interceptions were spot on in the game as well.
Ignacio Camacho – 6/10
The 26-year-old Malaga captain had a good game anchoring the midfield for his side. He made a few crucial tackles and interceptions but Real Madrid’s quality in the centre of the pitch was too much for him to handle. He also won a good header from a corner in the 29th minute but headed wide and was later booked for a foul on Casemiro in the 77th minute.
Recio – 5.5/10
Recio tried to transition play from holding midfield to attack and support his captain in the middle of the pitch but was found wanting on a number of occasions. His quality was far below Madrid’s midfielders and it was very evident in the game. He let Ramos ghost past him for the first goal and should have been marking the Real captain tighter.
Pablo Fornals – 5.5/10
Pablo Fornals was playing number 10 and did show some good touches, skill and dribbling ability but he could not create much with Casemiro nullifying him completely.
Juanpi – 6.5/10
Juanpi caused some problems down Malaga’s right flank but had a relatively quiet game otherwise. But he did score a good goal when the ball fell to him after Navas parried Juankars’ shot.
Chory Castro – 7/10
Chory Castro was lively down Malaga’s left and it was him and Juankar that caused most problems for the Real defence. He took three good shots – one in the 16th minute that bounced off the post and then another shortly after, in the 18th minute, that was drilled at Navas’ near post but the Madrid keeper saved it. He was then denied by Navas again in the 64th minute after a good strike.
Penaranda – 5/10
Penaranda was completely negated by Real Madrid’s defence who kept him quiet all game. He was then substituted in the 78th minute.
Substitutes
M. Santos – 4.5/10
Came on late and got booked for fouling Nacho in the 84th minute.
Jony Rodriguez – 5/10
Came on the left flank after Juankar got injured but could not put in good crosses despite getting into decent positions.
Martin Demichelis – 5/10
Demichelis came on and made a simple back-pass to Kameni in the 75th minute which the keeper made a mess of. He then blocked a Morata header at the 90+1’ mark. He stopped Real Madrid scoring a third with his experience.
