Ranking the 5 best Real Madrid players so far this season (2021-22)

Real Madrid have been reunited with the manager who delivered their La Decima - Carlo Ancelotti.

That has seen a return of the good times to Madrid again. Los Blancos have taken La Liga by storm this season. They sit comfortably atop the standings with an eight-point advantage over their ex-manager Julien Lopetegui’s Sevilla, who have a game in hand, though.

Despite the ugly fallout from the European Super League debacle, Real Madrid have continued to dominate in La Liga and in Europe. Club president Florentino Perez will be pleased with the performance of his team.

Madrid have had an impressive rebuild, and are looking to start a new cycle with a younger, hungrier squad. Thanks to a mix of academy graduates and ultra-talented acquisitions, Madrid build a formidable team capable of going toe-to-toe with the best in the world.

To say that Madrid's entire rebuild has been a success would be a stretch, though. That's because high-profile arrivals like Eden Hazard have failed spectacularly. However, the likes of David Alaba and Vinicius Jr. have performed well.

Madrid now have their eyes set on an unprecedented 14th Champions League title and their second La Liga title in three years. On that note, here's a look at the five Real Madrid players who've performed well this season:

#5 Luka Modric | Real Madrid midfielder

Real Madrid vs FC Internazionale - UEFA Champions League

Luka Modric ended Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi's Ballon d'Or duopoly in 2018.

Since 2012, the star has played for Real Madrid, eventually becoming a midfield stalwart alongside Toni Kroos and Casemiro. Although Madrid struggled after losing Ronaldo to Juventus, Modric has been key in the club turning around their fortunes.

This season, the 36-year-old has proved that age is just a number. In 12 La Liga games for Los Blancos, Modric has assisted four goals. The star has also proved his versatility this campaign, playing in central midfield, as well as defensive and attacking midfield.

#4 Eder Militao | Real Madrid defender

Real Madrid vs FC Sheriff: Group D - UEFA Champions League

Although the youngster can play at right-back, Ancelotti has used Eder Militao at the centre of his defence. In previous years, due to the presence of Raphael Varane and Sergio Ramos, opportunities were difficult to come by for Militao.

He managed only a handful of La Liga appearances each season as he struggled to break into the side. However, with the exit of the veteran duo this summer, Militao has stepped up admirably.

Playing beside David Alaba, he has already played 18 La Liga games this season, to go with six in the Champions League. Madrid have kept 11 clean sheets in this period.

#3 David Alaba | Real Madrid defender

FC Barcelona vs Real Madrid CF - La Liga Santander

David Alaba joined Real Madrid on a free transfer this summer, inheriting Sergio Ramos' No. 4 jersey. Now playing under Ancelotti, the experienced Austrian international has continued in the center-back role that he picked up during his later campaigns at Bayern Munich.

The star may not be as legendary as Ramos was for the Madridistas, but his presence has certainly held Los Galacticos' defence together.

There were worries that Madrid would falter from a leaky defence after Ramos and Varane's exit. However, the Spanish giants have only conceded 16 goals in 19 La Liga games, thanks largely to Alaba, who has played in all but two of these games.

#2 Vinicius Junior | Real Madrid attacker

Athletic Club vs Real Madrid CF - La Liga Santander

Vinicius Junior struggled to make a mark since his arrival at Real Madrid three years ago. This campaign, though, he has racked up an astonishing ten league goals in 19 games. That's a massive improvement from his tally of seven goals in 82 previous games.

His playmaking has also improved as well. The 21-year-old has picked up five assists so far in La Liga, a joint career-best. Besides his league exploits, he has also racked up five goal contributions in six Champions League appearances this season. Real Madrid can't stop scoring goals, thanks to the young Brazilian coming of age.

#1 Karim Benzema | Real Madrid attacker

If Vinicius Jr has been brilliant in front of goal, Karim Benzema has been ruthless and deadly.

The French international was in the Ballon d'Or reckoning (finished fourth) after an explosive year for club and country. Benzema notably struggled to pass the 20-goal mark in La Liga when Cristiano Ronaldo was at the Santiago Bernabeu.

However, in the last three seasons, the star has scored at least 21 league goals per campaign. With 15 goals and seven assists, he is well on course for his best-ever campaign in the Spanish top flight this season. After a rare blank against Cadiz, Benzema returned to scoring ways with a brace against Athletic Bilbao.

That has helped him cement his reputation as arguably the best striker in Spain at the moment.

About the author

Nnanna is currently an analyst on Sportskeeda. He started writing about football as a hobby many years ago, but it's recently become a more important aspect of his life.

He loves sports, football particularly, and is optimistic about the growth of local leagues in Africa.

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Edited by Bhargav