Real Madrid 1-0 Liverpool (6-2 agg): Los Blancos' Player Ratings as Vinicius and Benzema combine for the solitary goal | UEFA Champions League 2022-23

Real Madrid v Liverpool FC: Round of 16 Second Leg - UEFA Champions League
Real Madrid v Liverpool FC: Round of 16 Second Leg - UEFA Champions League

Real Madrid left it late to secure a 1-0 win against Liverpool in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League round of 16. The result saw them progress to the quarter-finals 6-2 on aggregate.

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Los Blancos entered this game on the back of just two wins in their last five games across competitions. One of those was a 5-2 win against the Reds in the first leg, while the other was a 3-1 win over Espanyol in their last league outing.

A three-goal cushion seemed enough for them to qualify but stranger things have happened in this competition. Carlo Ancelotti fielded a strong lineup for this game.

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Real Madrid made a good start to the game and created multiple chances in the early stages. They piled pressure on Liverpool's midfield and defense as they looked to carve out openings.

The visitors made a good start as well but were unable to take their chances. Both goalkeepers had an incredible first period as they made several key saves.

Liverpool had the ball for 45% of the first half as they attempted eight shots with four on target. Real Madrid, on the other hand, attempted nine shots and hit the target four times as well. Despite an exciting and end-to-end first half, the teams went into the interval deadlocked at 0-0.

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The second half was more evenly matched in terms of possession but there was a clear gap in creativity in the final third between the two sides. Real Madrid looked far more effective in possession as they created several chances to score from. Liverpool lacked that sharpness in the final third as they attempted just one shot in the second half.

Los Blancos, on the other hand, attempted eight shots and hit the target four times. They grabbed the lead in the 78th minute as Vinicius Junior jostled his way into the box before losing balance and yet having the presence of mind to cut it back to Karim Benzema who scored with ease.

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Both managers then made multiple changes as they looked to freshen things up.

There was late drama as a potential penalty check on Konstantinos Tsimikas for handling the ball took up most of the stoppage time. However, nothing was awarded and the game ended 1-0 in Real Madrid's favor.

On that note, let's take a look at their player ratings.


Real Madrid Player Ratings


Thibaut Courtois - 8.5/10

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Courtois had a brilliant first half as he made four key saves to deny the Reds. He made another save in the second half to preserve the clean sheet.


Daniel Carvajal - 7/10

Carvajal looked solid defensively and also passed the ball well. He won six of his seven duels, making two tackles, two clearances and one interception. He also played two long balls.


Eder Militao - 6.5/10

Militao looked composed on defense and also distributed the ball well. He won three duels, making five clearances and one interception. He also played two long balls.

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Antonio Rudiger - 7.5/10

Rudiger was in the right place at the right time to clear the ball out of danger several times. He also distributed it well. He won both his duels, making six clearances and one tackle. He played one key pass and three long balls.


Nacho Fernandez - 7.5/10

Nacho had a good game on the left flank and did well to deal with Mohamed Salah's threat. He won eight duels, making four tackles, three interceptions and two clearances in the process. He also played two key passes and two long balls.

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Luka Modric - 7/10

Modric distributed the ball well in midfield but was unable to win duels and was often outmuscled. He passed the ball with 96% accuracy, including one key pass and one long ball. He also won two duels and made one interception.


Eduardo Camavinga - 7.5/10

Camavinga made a good start to the game and put a solid performance at the heart of Real Madrid's midfield. He won four duels, making two clearances, one tackle and one interception. He also played five long balls and attempted one shot on target.

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Toni Kroos - 7.5/10

Kroos was Real Madrid's chief ball-distributor and played some delightful passes to his teammates in open spaces. He passed the ball with 89% accuracy, including one key pass, one cross and six long balls. He also won five duels and completed two dribbles.


Federico Valverde - 6.5/10

Valverde was equally involved in attacking and defending in a well-rounded performance off the ball. However, he missed two relatively simple chances to score in a lackluster performance in front of goal.

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Karim Benzema - 8/10

Benzema had a good game and often dropped deep into pockets to facilitate swift passing and movement for his teammates. He won three duels, completed two dribbles and played one key pass. Benzema attempted six shots with two of those on target. He scored in the 78th minute to put Real Madrid ahead on the night.


Vinicius Junior - 7/10

Vinicius had a good start to the game but missed a big chance to put the tie to bed in the first half. He won six duels, completed four dribbles and played four key passes. He provided the assist for Benzema's goal in the second half.

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Substitutes


Rodrygo, Dani Ceballos, Aurelien Tchouameni, Marco Asensio & Lucas Vazquez - N/A

They all came onto the pitch after the 80-minute mark and did not have enough time on the pitch to warrant a rating.

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Edited by Arnav Kholkar
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