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MADRID, SPAIN – DECEMBER 1: Mezut Ozil of Real Madrid CF scores their second goal during the La Liga match between Real Madrid CF and Club Atletico de Madrid at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on December 1, 2012 in Madrid, Spain.
Real won the Madrid derby with reasonable ease against a flat Atletico side on Saturday night. Here’s a look at how each of the players fared in this virtual six-point encounter between the second and third placed clubs.
Top of the match – Cristiano Ronaldo
Flop of the match – Arda Turan
Real Madrid
Iker Casillas – 6
Had almost nothing to do throughout the game, which was surprising considering how good Atletico have been going forward this season. Plucked a couple of decent balls out the air and made quite a face when the Ronaldo free kick beat Courtois.
Alvaro Arbeloa – 6.5
Did fairly well to keep both Turan and Koke quiet. Was often involved in attacks by running up to support Di Maria, but had no telling contributions to show for it.
Pepe – 6
It was a very quiet game for the combative defender as most of the game was played in front of him. Did manage to clear everything that came his way, and did well to steer clear of Diego Costa who was being extremely irrational.
Sergio Ramos – 7
The pick of the Madrid defenders, as he did very well to keep both Costa and Falcao quiet throughout the ninety minutes. Was an absolute rock in defence, shepherding balls to safety when needed, and making clearances when necessary.
Coentrao – 6
Was found more often in the Atletico half than his own. Did not allow the ineffective Turan to get past him anyway, and made a couple of good interceptions which got his team a chance to hit Atletico on the break.
Sami Khedira – 6
Made frequent runs forward from his position, leaving defensive responsibilities to Alonso in doing so. Could have done more to influence the game, but did not do too bad either.
Xabi Alonso – 7.5
Doing the work of two people all by himself as a holding midfielder, Alonso was important to Real in stopping Atletico attacks before they had even begun. Made some excellent interceptions, retrieved the ball well, and even dove into some good tackles.
Cristiano Ronaldo – 9
Was the stand out performer of the game by far, considering how none of the others did well at all. Scored a wonderful free kick, set up Ozil’s goal, and hit the woodwork twice. Also made some defensive contributions which were well received by the fans.
Angel Di Maria – 6
Dribbled past Cata Diaz with ease on several occasions, and fed some good balls into the box. His pace was a threat throughout his stay on the pitch, in spite of not amounting to much, and will consider himself unlucky to have been replaced.
Mesut Ozil – 7
Much more influential in the second half than in the first. Scored Madrid’s second goal by getting himself into a good position, and dictated play on several occasions. Will hope he has done enough to stay ahead of Modric in the pecking order.
Karim Benzema – 6
Was almost invisible during the first half. Made a couple of good turns in the second half, and got into good spaces. Earned a free kick that Ronaldo crashed against the bar, and occupied the defenders well for Ozil’s goal.
Substitutes:
Jose Callejon – 5.5
The ball managed to evade this replacement for Di Maria, and even when it did find him, Callejon couldn’t manage to dribble past the opposition as Di Maria had.
Luka Modric – N/A
Came on with a couple of minutes to spare, barely made an impact.
Jose Rodriguez – N/A
Came on in injury time. Didn’t manage to get a touch of the ball.
MADRID, SPAIN – DECEMBER 01: Radamel Falcao (L) of Club Atletico de Madrid rests close to Xabi Alonso (R) of Real Madrid during the La Liga match between Real Madrid CF and Club Atletico de Madrid at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on December 1, 2012 in Madrid, Spain.
Thibaut Courtois – 5.5
Couldn’t do much about the second goal, but was found lacking in positioning skills for the Ronaldo free kick. Did well to stop the scoreline from worsening, but had the woodwork to thank as well.
Juanfran – 5
Made frequent forays into the opposing half, leaving space behind him to be exploited. Dove into a rash challenge on Ronaldo, leading to a free kick which needed a good save.
Joao Miranda – 5
Shaky throughout the game, and was somewhat responsible for Real’s second goal as he headed Ronaldo’s attempted pass straight back to him, only to watch the Portuguese man find Ozil with his second attempt.
Diego Godin – 5.5
Did not impress much tonight, as a good first half saw him keep Benzema quiet before the second half saw decidedly average defending. Was the one who set Falcao up for Atletico’s only half-chance of the match.
Cata Diaz – 5
A late entry into the starting lineup after a warm-up injury, played in an unfamiliar left back position. This showed, as he was caught out of position, drifting inwards, allowing Ozil tons of space to score Real’s second.
Gabi – 6.5
Was one of the visitors’ better performers, providing them a slim chance of gaining a foothold in the game with a battling performance in midfield. The quality of Real was simply too much though, and there was very little support from his teammates.
Mario Suarez – 5
Ran about a lot on the pitch, but failed to make any real creative contribution. Tried to do justice to his role as a holding midfielder but ended up conceding plenty of free kicks.
Koke – 5
A poor outing for the winger, as he was kept very quiet on either flank. Failed to help his team out with creating chances as he often does, and lost possession once too often.
Arda Turan – 4.5
Displayed appalling decision making to commit a clear hand-ball in front of the referee, earning himself a yellow and paving way for Ronaldo’s goal. Did little to redeem himself, and lost possession whenever attempting a dribble.
Diego Costa – 5
Most of the action from him came off the ball than on it, as he tried in vain to get the worst out of Pepe, Ramos, and then Alonso. Also playacted as much as he could when he was fouled, but did not succeed in fooling the referee. Would have done better to try and play football, instead of theatrics.
Falcao – 5.5
Had a very quiet game by his usual standards. Did not manage to get past Pepe or Ramos in spite of having one or two good opportunities. Wasted his shooting chances as well, with the few shots he managed flying high or wide.
Substitutes
Tiago – 5.5
Couldn’t do much to influence the game as he came on when Madrid had almost seized control of the match. Was neat on the ball though, and kept possession for his team.
Adrian – 5
Was left chasing shadows for the little time he spent on the pitch. Committed a couple of niggling fouls, and was lucky to not be booked after bringing down Ronaldo heavily late in the game.
Raul Garcia – 5
Had only a handful of touches of the ball, in spite of being on the pitch for over 12 minutes. There was little to see from him in terms of defensive contribution either.
