Player Ratings for Real Madrid vs Real Sociedad

Keylor Navas: 6 - Navas could do nothing to stop Real Sociedad's stunning equaliser courtesy of Bruma, however he did make a quality save in the first half and followed it up by diving bravely at Bruma's feet to prevent a second conceded goal.

Danilo: 4 - Not a very convincing performance from the young Brazilian right-back. He afforded Bruma too much space for Sociedad's opener and he also made some other defensive errors such as failing to jump to meet a header and completely missing a tackle. He did take part in a promising attacking move going forward when he met Ronaldo's cross and volleyed the ball back across goal for Benzema to hit the target.

Pepe: 8 - Pepe had a very solid game in my opinion. He snuffed out a dangerous break from Yuri and also made a great marauding run from the heart of defence. He was slightly unfortunate in the build-up to Sociedad's goal and otherwise was in the right place at the right time due to positioning throughout the match. He also made his presence felt with some headers at goal from corners.

Nacho: 6 - Quiet game from Nacho who didn't have to exert himself too much in this game. His distribution of the ball was excellent though as he finished the game with a 97% pass accuracy.

Marcelo: 7 - The other Brazilian full-back in the team did what was necessary today. Luckily for him he wasn;t required to put in many tackles but when he had the ball at his feet he made some piercing runs in the Sociedad half and his corner turned out to be a perfect assist for Cristiano today.

Toni Kroos: 5 - In my opinion Toni Kroos has lost a gear in 2015. He was excellent in the first half of last season but has since stepped off the gas in terms of his form. This match was a quiet one from the German who struggled to get involved as much as he typically does.

Luka Modric: 5 - In fairness Kroos' midfield partner in Modric also didn't set the world on fire with his performance today. He had a chance to test Rulli in the Sociedad goal in the first half but hit his effort straight at him. Aside from that there's not much to be said about his display today.

James Rodríguez: 6 - James didn't have his best day at the office today but he did try and his creativity is reflected in him ending the game with the most key passes (6) as he constantly looked to set up his team mates. What let him down today was his lack of defensive contribution as the formation often looked more like a 4-2-4 than a 4-3-3 until his departure.

Gareth Bale: 8 - A very positive performance from the Welsh dragon who persistently troubled the Sociedad defence with his powerful runs. He completed more successful take-ons than any other player. He created the first goal from his dribble and cross and followed this up by providing Vázquez with a perfect cross to kill the game. He's certainly rediscovering his form and this looks good for the start of 2016.

Cristiano Ronaldo: 7 - Today was a mixed outing for the Real Madrid goalscoring phenomenon. First the bad; he wasted a penalty by smashing it over the bar. Then he dispatched a penalty. That was all that could be said about a disappointing first half for him. But in the second he was the difference maker with an inspired volley to give Madrid the lead and essentially keep them in the race for La Liga.

Karim Benzema: 6 - Some might say Benzema was unfortunate not to score today whereas others would say that he should have converted at least one of the chances he had. Rulli was on form in the Sociedad goal to deny him time and time again as Big Benz registered more shots n target than any other player. However, his tumble in the box to earn Madrid their first penalty should be frowned upon.

Subs:

Mateo Kovacic: 4 - The young Croat replaced James but failed to make an impact and finished the game with a poor pass accuracy of 73%.

Lucas Vázquez: 7 - He came on with quarter of an hour to go and showed his class with Madrid's third goal by finishing with aplomb. An encouraging cameo performance for Lucas who justified his continued appearances under Benítez.

Casemiro was given insufficient minutes to be graded.