Celta de Vigo vs Real Madrid, La Liga: Player Ratings

Iker Casillas: 5. He wasn't directly to blame for neither one of Celta's goals, but he did not do a single thing to stop Nolito's weak shot on the opening goal either. Some could say that his vision was blocked by Varane's legs, but it's not hard to imagine goalkeepers like Courtois, Neuer, De Gea or Leno saving that shot. He will need to do better against Juventus if Real want to go through.

Dani Carvajal: 4. Abysmal performance by the Spanish defender, one of the worst he's put since he joined Real Madrid last summer. His defending did not exist at all, to put it mildly.

Raphaël Varane: 7. Considering that Celta were able to create numerous goalscoring chances, Varane did complete a good display after his dominant play in the Champions League Quarterfinals against Atlético de Madrid. It was interesting to see him earning the starting spot over Pepe, and maybe that's a sign of things to come.

Sergio Ramos: 6. Assisted Chicharito on Real's game-clinching goal (2-4) and although his defending wasn't as good as Varane's, Sergio Ramos always makes a big impact on Madrid's attacking system as a center-back.

Marcelo: 4. The Brazilian left-back was to blame for Celta's second goal. He was caught out of position, allowing Santi Mina to equalize after Real Madrid earned the 1-2.

Toni Kroos: 6. Kroos struggled a lot against Celta's intensity, mainly because his defensive awareness and positioning were not too good. Still, the German midfielder has improved as a Defensive Midfielder over the last few months.

Asier Illarramendi: 4. Illarramendi wasted another chance to prove he is ready to contribute with significant minutes in this club.

Isco Alarcón: 5. His commitment is there, but he is lacking the attacking instinct he had weeks back. He missed what should have been a sitter by trying to dribble around the goalkeeper when Isco should have taken the shot right away instead. Carlo Ancelotti will need to address his situation soon enough.

James Rodríguez: 7. His first half was good and he was the main reason why Real Madrid were able to lead the game at half-time. As a winger, it's true that he might lack the speed to dribble past opponents, but he definitely has the creativity to make plays for his teammates.

Cristiano Ronaldo: 5. Ronaldo simply doesn't have it recently. The Portuguese player hit the post on his best chance to score and overall his impact within Real Madrid's playmaking wasn't there. He will definitely improve his form soon, and Real need him.

Chicharito: 8. Man of the Match. Scored a brace and his second goal was a thing of beauty coming off a brilliant assist by Ramos. The Mexican striker is firing on all cylinders an Real Madrid must use that on their fight for La Liga and the Champions League titles.

Pepe: 6. Pepe came on during the second half replacing Chicharito. Real Madrid then played under a 5-4-1 formation that made the midfield much stronger. It seems that Varane is now ahead of him in the rotation, so it will be interesting to see how he reacts.

Jesé: - Not given enough time.

Arbeloa: - Not given enough time.