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The Score: Real Madrid 2-1 Man United (Casemiro 24', Isco 52'; Lukaku 62')
Real Madrid did what Real Madrid do under Zinedine Zidane - win. They did so with a fair amount of ease - though a couple of United attacks did worry them - and it's hard to see anyone dethroning them anytime soon. They are a scary, scary, side. Who get the occasional offside goal to go for them
Manchester United weren't as bad as most people - especially on twitter - will have you believe, but they'll need a touch more composure up front if they are to have a better season this time around; the signs are promising, though.
Real Madrid
Keylor Navas: 5/10
The Costa Rican was a bit shaky throughout and was let off by Manchester United's horribly lackadaisical finishing; except for a superb save when one-on-one with Rashford, he had one to forget - especially the spill that gifted Lukaku the goal.
Dani Carvajal: 7/10
The Spaniard underlined why he's the best right back in the world with a superb display both moving forward and in defence... it was his superb ball that led to Casemiro's first goal, and although troubled by Fellaini in the air in the second half, he had a good game.
Raphael Varane: 7/10
The Frenchman had one of those games where he won't make the headlines as he eased through the game with quiet, purring, efficiency. Shackled the massive bulk of Lukaku quite easily but was occasionally troubled by the darting runs of Mkhitaryan.
Sergio Ramos: 8/10
He got into a clash of heads with Fellaini, got a yellow card for body-checking Pogba and argued with the referee with an expression of utter disbelief plastered on his face, pulled a header wide, defended like a beast and was generally 100% entertainment.
Can't ask for more.
Marcelo: 6/10
The Brazilian was unusually off the pace in this game and couldn't exert his trademark influence over the left-flank. Antonio Valencia got the better of him on more than one occasion, and Zidane will be hoping that one of his most trusted men shakes off the cobwebs soon.
Toni Kroos: 9/10
Why does he get 9?
This:
The German is the best midfielder on the planet, isn't he?
Luka Modric: 8/10
His Croatian partner isn't far behind. Luka Modric was his usual buzzing self throughout the game and his combination of neat dribbling and sublime passing will never go out of fashion. What a player.
Carlos Casemiro: 9/10
The goal he scored may have been offside, but take nothing away from the manner in which he scored it. The run he made off Lindelof's shoulder was excellent - the Swede had no idea what was happening - and the finish would have made his mate Ronaldo proud. He was everywhere all the time, and United simply couldn't handle him - either in attack or defence as that header which thwacked off the crossbar showed.
For my money, Madrid's best player on the night.
Isco: 8/10
There wasn't much Disco for Isco in the first half as Nemanja Matic shut him down with bloody-minded determination, but as the game opened up after Casemiro's goal, the little magician started working his magic. The goal was a thing of beauty - his give and go with Bale cut United into shreds and his finish was, as always, impeccable.
Karim Benzema: 7/10
The Frenchman did what the Frenchman always does - run the channels supremely well, drag defenders out of position, put in a few balls into the box to create chances for teammates and generally have a good impact on Madrid's offense.
Gareth Bale: 7/10
While he threatened early in the match, it was a little later on that he really had an impact on the match with his sublime return pass to Isco for the second, winning, goal. Earlier in the day he thundered a shot onto the crossbar and gave the United defence a few scares, but you get the feeling that his recent spate of injuries have made him a touch tentative and that's not good for anyone. Doesn't help that he looks like he's lost a yard or two of pace, either.
Substitutes
Lucas Vazquez: 7/10
The swivel of the hips that sent Matteo Darmian into early retirement was the one piece of skill that stood out, but the youngster had a great game - winning fouls, keeping possession and generally doing the things that needed to be done to win the match
Marcos Asensio: 7/10
Ditto for Asensio, whose most impressive piece of skill was not the turning finish that De Gea saved brilliantly, but a superb little reverse ball from the centre of the field to free Marcelo down the left. WOOF! The lad can play, alright
Cristiano Ronaldo: 7/10
Why does he get 7? For being Cristiano Ronaldo.
Manchester United
David De Gea: 7/10
The Spaniard showed Madrid all they've been missing ever since fax-gate and pulled off two superb saves to deny Toni Kroos and Marco Asensio early on. Could have done very little against either Casemiro or Isco - their finishing was just too good.
Will want a steady backline in front of him this season, though
Victor Lindelof: 7/10
The Swede showed flashes of the promise that led Mourinho to splurge on him this summer - a tackle in the six-yard box to deny Karim Benzema was the stand out - and apart from the Casemiro goal (where he was offside, anyway) the United man hardly put a foot wrong. Did rather well to ensure Gareth Bale didn't wreck havoc in the early stages of the match.
Chris Smalling: 6/10
There's a reason Smalling isn't trusted by a vast majority of United fans and it was all too evident today - shaky when under pressure, prone to being a touch too physical whilst defending set-pieces, the Englishman was left for dead all too often by Messrs. Bale and Benzema - he did, though, fight through valiantly and you have to give marks for that
Matteo Darmian: 7/10
The Italian was quietly impressive as part of the back three in the first half as well as at left-back in the second putting in some neat tackles while moving the ball about neatly. Was given an absolute run-around by Vazquez but that one moment shouldn't colour the perception of his game.
Antonio Valencia: 8/10
United's only attacking outlet at times, the Ecuadorian was solid at the back and pretty good moving forward. It was his superb cross that led to Pogba's and Lukaku's squandered chances and he was a constant threat on the right side - getting past Marcelo with ease and sending in balls all day.
Ander Herrera: 5/10
The combative Spaniard fought away, as his wont, but couldn't stamp his authority over the game - he was rather loose with the ball and was utterly dominated by Casemiro & co. in midfield
Nemanja Matic - 8/10
The debutant was arguably United's best player and he showed just why Mourinho paid such big money for an 'aging' defensive midfielder. He was neat in possession, and strong in the tackle - and when he wandered forward he put in some useful little balls. It was from his powerful shot that Lukaku pounced - he looks like he'll be a mainstay in this United side.
Paul Pogba: 4/10
This was Pogba's game summed up in one tweet:
Yes, it's an extreme troll, but Pogba does need to step up his game now that Matic is around to do the dirty work behind him.
The Frenchman started off brightly but petered out as United stepped on the gas - had a glorious chance to pull a goal back for United when his superb run into the box was found by Valencia but planted the header straight at Navas.
Jesse Lingard: 5/10
The young Mancunian was entrusted with playing the role of left-wing back and was decent for the first half and was taken off before United really stepped on the gas.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan: 7/10
The Armenian was rather good moving forward, slipping hither and thither behind, and around, Madrid's defence and they had a hard time keeping track of the man. He was especially good in the first half, although his best moment came in the second when he slipped in Rashford with an absolute gem of a through ball.
Romelu Lukaku: 6/10
The Belgian scored on debut. That will always be the defining fact that we'll remember from this match, and as impressive as he was in his hold-up play (treating Varane and Ramos with utter disdain at times) and passing he needs to make sure chances like the one that came popping around 9 minutes before he scored... he seems a decent buy, though and should make this United team a mite better than what it was last season
Substitutes
Marcus Rashford: 6/10
Oh, Marcus. The young lad's introduction brought with it that trademark surge of electricity and he upped the urgency in United's game, but he'd be kicking himself for not finishing off Mkhitaryan's lovely little through ball in the 81st minute.
Also, was utterly wasteful at times with his crossing. Unusually so.
Marouane Fellaini: 6.5/10
The man threw himself around in standard-edition-can't-play-me-I'm-massive style and was a handful throughout his time on the pitch - was involved in a painful collision with Ramos that he got the worse off of... but overall, he showed exactly why Mourinho doesn't want to sell him this summer.
