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Real Madrid regained their spot at the summit of La Liga as they beat a lacklustre Barcelona side 2-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday.
The visitors were right on top during the first half as they had the better chances of the two teams but were hopelessly wasteful in front of the goal. Lionel Messi, Antoine Griezmann, and Arthur all missed golden chances to find the back of the net in the first 45 minutes.
Los Blancos looked better in the second half as they broke the deadlock through Vinicius Jr in the 71st minute. Barcelona failed to create anything substantial and Mariano wrapped up the game in the 92nd minute when he beat Marc-Andre ter Stegen on his near post.
So with the game done and dusted, let's have a look at how Real Madrid's players performed.
Also Read: Real Madrid 2-0 Barcelona: 5 Talking Points | LaLiga 2019-20
Thibaut Courtois: 8
Thibaut Courtois stood firm between the posts throughout the game and was one of the best players on the pitch as he saved two clear one-on-ones against Messi and Arthur in the first 45 minutes. The Belgian single-handedly kept Real Madrid in the game in the first half as he made a few brilliant stops for them.
Dani Carvajal: 7
Dani Carvajal had a really good game on the night as he kept Barcelona's Jordi Alba quiet for most of the game. Despite struggling defensively at times, the Real Madrid full-back truly burst to life in the second half as he drilled in some dangerous crosses in the Barcelona box.
Sergio Ramos: 6
Sergio Ramos had a fairly quiet game by his standards but he did well to deal with Barcelona's attack and restricted them to fewer sights on goal in the second half. The Real Madrid captain could have done better to stay onside for a corner but was overall calm and solid throughout the game.
Raphael Varane: 7
Just like his centre-back partner, Raphael Varane was defensively solid. He did well to clear up when Messi went through on goal midway into the second half. The Frenchman protected his box well and pounced on corners and freekicks throughout. He was also quick to join Madrid on set-piece situations while on the attack.
Marcelo: 7
A surprise starter but the Brazilian justified his selection with marauding runs forward and a life-saving challenge to deny Messi in the second period which he celebrated like a goal. However, he did make a few lose passes throughout the game but was brilliant on the attack and put some delightful balls in the Barcelona box.
Casemiro: 8
Casemiro was all over the pitch winning every single tackle and second balls from the start to the final whistle. The Brazilian did a really good job sitting in front of the Madrid defence and also joined in attack whenever it was possible. He made some really good challenges on Messi and kept the Argentine fairly quiet during the match.
Federico Valverde: 7
Just like Casemiro, Valverde was effectively the lynchpin of the Real Madrid midfield. He kept running and pressing until the final whistle and kept De Jong quiet throughout the match. The Spaniard also helped the team on transitions from defence to attack.
Toni Kroos: 7
The German midfielder was calm in possession and passed the ball seamlessly. He quietly dictated the game when Madrid were in possession and even let some shots fly from range although they failed to hit the target. He provided Vinicius with the ball for Madrid's first goal.
Isco: 7
The Spaniard was particularly unlucky as he saw two glorious chances saved in the second half. His curling strike from outside the box was tipped sideways by Ter Stegen and his leaping header was cleared off the line by Gerard Pique. However, he was reluctant to join in the attack at times as Madrid failed to score until the 71st minute.
Vinicius Junior: 8
Vinicius posed a threat with his pace throughout the game but his decision-making let him down. However, he got on the scoresheet midway through the second half when he effectively made a run into the Barcelona box and was helped by a deflection through Gerard Pique as the ball sailed into the back of the net.
Karim Benzema: 6
One of the few Madrid players who failed to impress, Karim Benzema missed one big chance in the second half as he scooped his shot from the right side of the box, high over the bar. He failed to get involved as he usually does and wasn't particularly impressive.
Substitutes
Luka Modric: 6
He came off the bench late to calm the rhythm, did well to pass the ball in midfield, but gave away a foul to Ansu Fati in a half-decent position.
Mariano Diaz: 7
He was substituted late in added time to wind down the clock but instead sealed the game by scoring Madrid's second goal after a great run from the right-hand side of the pitch.
Lucas Vazquez: -
Didn't play enough to be considered for rating.
Also Read: 5 players you probably didn’t know played for Real Madrid
