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Real Madrid beat Liverpool 3-1 in the first leg of their 2020-21 UEFA Champions League quarter-final.
Vinicius Jr. opened the scoring for the hosts after bringing down a sublime long ball from Toni Kroos to beat Alisson Becker. Buoyed by their opener, Los Blancos sought to build on their dominance in the game.
Real Madrid doubled their advantage on the night when Marco Asensio capitalised on a mistake from Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Mohamed Salah pulled one back for Liverpool soon after the restart. But Real Madrid soon reasserted their ascendancy on the night when Vinicius Jr completed his brace after some deft work from Luka Modric.
On that note, let's have a look at the player ratings in the game.
Real Madrid Payer Ratings
Thibaut Courtois - 7/10
Thibaut Courtois had a relatively comfortable outing for Real Madrid. Although he was unfortunate to concede a goal early on in the second half, there was nothing he could have done to deny Mohamed Salah.
Lucas Vazquez - 8/10
Lucas Vazquez put in a solid display at the back for Real Madrid. He was astute both offensively as well as defensively. The Spanish international won eight duels, made four clearances, won two tackles and made eight recoveries for his side last night.
Eder Militao - 8/10
Eder Militao got a rare chance to start, as he had to fill in for Raphael Varane who tested positive for COVID-19. The Brazilian did not disappoint as he was confident on the ball and was virtually unbeatable.
Nacho Fernandez - 7.5/10
Nacho Fernandez had a great game, too, filling in for Sergio Ramos. He linked up well with Militao at the back. The duo ensured they foiled Liverpool attacks down the centre.
Ferland Mendy - 8/10
Ferland Mendy had a great outing against Liverpool. The Frenchman did well to keep Salah in check for most of the game. Mendy did well to track down the Egyptian on numerous occasions and also combined well with Vinicius Jr. high up the pitch.
Luka Modric - 8.5/10
Luka Modric put in another worldly performance for the Whites. Along with Toni Kroos, the duo orchestrated play for Real. Modric. Modric also set up Vinicius Jr. for his second of the night.
Casemiro - 8/10
Casemiro put in a massive shift in the centre of the park. The Brazilian won 11 duels, made nine recoveries and won four tackles on the night. But Casemiro struggled with the ball at his feet, looking clumsy in possession and made some poor passes.
Toni Kroos - 9/10
Toni Kroos oozed class against Liverpool. The German international was involved in two Real Madrid goals. Kroos completed the most passes in the game (68) and created the most chances (5) on the night.
Marco Asensio - 8.5/10
Marco Asensio is getting back to his best. The Spaniard tracked back on numerous occasions to help Vazquez deal with Sadio Mane. He also kept the Liverpool defenders on their toes throughout. Asensio scored a beautiful goal after deceiving Alisson Becker.
Karim Benzema - 8/10
Karim Benzema may not have scored a goal on the night but put in a massive shift for Real Madrid. The Frenchman was involved in the hosts' game-play as he tracked back to create chances for Vinicius Jr. and Asensio.
Vinicius Jr - 9.5/10
Vinicius Jr had one of his best nights as a Real Madrid player. The Brazilian had the visitors gasping for breath, making life miserable for them with his electrifying pace and mazy runs. Besides scoring a brace, Vinicius Jr. won six duels, completed two dribbles, won two tackles and made three recoveries against Liverpool.
Ratings of Real Madrid substitutes against Liverpool:
:
Federico Valverde - 7/10
Federico Valverde came on for Asensio in the 70th minute of the game. The Uruguayan did well defensively to foil any chance of Liverpool's comeback.
Rodrygo - N/A
Rodrygo came on too late against Liverpool to merit a rating.
Liverpool Player Ratings against Real Madrid
Alisson Becker - 5/10
Liverpool custodian Alisson Becker made some decent saves against Real Madrid but could have done better on the night. The Brazilian's poor positioning allowed Vinicius Jr to open the scoring on the night. He was also humbled by Marco Asensio for Real Madrid's second of the night.
Andrew Robertson - 5.5/10
Andrew Robertson looked weary all night. He struggled to keep tabs on Asensio and Vazquez. The Liverpool left-back also seemed bereft of ideas up the pitch.
Ozan Kabak - 5.5/10
Ozan Kabak struggled against Real Madrid, lacking confidence and almost handing Benzema a goal. The Liverpool centre-back couldn't contend with Los Blancos' grit and resilience on the night.
Nathaniel Phillips - 5.5/10
Like his Liverpool partner, Nathaniel Phillips also found it difficult to shut down Real Madrid. He positioned himself poorly for Real Madrid's opener and could have done better to track Modric to stop the hosts' third of the night.
Trent Alexander-Arnold - 4.5/10
Trent Alexander-Arnold had a poor outing against Real Madrid. Vinicius Jr and Mendy tormented the Liverpool right-back for the entirety of the game. Alexander-Arnold made a huge error to give Asensio the chance to score Real Madrid's second of the night.
Georginio Wijnaldum - 5/10
Georginio Wijnaldum had a night to forget. The Dutch international was humbled by Toni Kroos and Luka Modric. He looked lost for ideas and found it difficult to progress the ball down the lines for Liverpool.
Fabinho - 6.5/10
Fabinho tried to shield Liverpool's defensive line, but Zinedine Zidane's men overwhelmed him. Nevertheless, the Brazilian made seven recoveries, two clearances and four interceptions for Liverpool on the night.
Naby Keita - 5/10
Naby Keita was taken off before half-time in an attempt to shake things up for Liverpool. Klopp might have thought that Kieta would add some much-needed flair in midfield, but that was not the case. The 26-year-old hardly did anything to trouble Real Madrid. Moreover, he failed to track back on numerous occasions.
Sadio Mane - 5/10
Sadio Mane looked like a pale shadow of his former self. The Senegalese did not produce anything substantial moving high up the pitch. He was kept in check by Modric and Militao.
Diogo Jota - 6/10
Diogo Jota failed to continue his impressive scoring streak for Liverpool. The Portuguese international was better than most of his mates on the night, though. Jota did well to turn away and shoot, which eventually allowed Salah to tap the ball in from close range.
Mohamed Salah - 7.5/10
Mohamed Salah scored Liverpool's only goal of the game. The Egyptian was a rare bright spark for the visitors, as he looked to have a go at the Real Madrid defence.
Ratings of Liverpool substitutes against Real Madrid
Thiago Alcantara - 6/10
Thiago Alcantara's introduction to Liverpool's midfield brought a sense of tranquillity. The Spanish international tried to take charge in the centre, but Real Madrid's midfielders were too hot to handle.
Xhedran Shaqiri - N/A
Xhedran Shaqiri did not have much impact on the game.
Roberto Firmino - N/A
Roberto Firmino came on too late to earn a rating.
