Player Ratings: Real Madrid 2 - 0 Getafe; 2018 La Liga

La Liga has returned with Madrid taking on Getafe at the Santiago Bernabeu this evening. Lopetegui opted not to force the World Cup finalists (Modric and Varane) nor the unfit Casemiro meaning there were starts for Nacho, Ceballos, and Asensio. Carvajal and Bale grabbed the goals, but there were many notable performances:

Keylor Navas—7.5: Didn’t face a single shot at goal during the first half as Madrid had complete control. Has improved with distributing quickly and efficiently from his feet which will certainly help in his battle against Courtois.

Dani Carvajal—8: Solid as he dealt with the speedy Senegalese, Diedhou, and ever present in the Madrid attack. Scored an opportunistic goal with his head by looping his header above the goalkeeper and into the net.

Sergio Ramos—7: Kept a high line to lock Getafe in their half. Won all his duels and barely gave Molina and Ángel a sniff at goal.

Nacho—9: Phenomenal performance from Nacho who did not put a foot wrong. Was aggressive in the tackle, won all his 50/50 duels, and helped Madrid keep a high tempo/ control in possession.

Marcelo—9.5: Simply no other full back like him in world football at the moment. A playmaker from the left side, he continually pushed up the field and was creative as well as inventive to find the right pass and spur the Madrid attack. Contributed to both of Madrid’s goals.

Dani Ceballos—7: Tidy in possession. Always moving about the central areas in the pitch in search of the ball to continue circulating play. Worked hard off the ball, looking to implement Lopetegui’s counter-press. Should see significantly more minutes this year.

Kroos—8.5: the best player in the pitch in the first half. Getafe were unable to exploit Madrid in the counter thus Kroos was in total control. Continued his fine performance in the second half.

Isco—6.5: Starting in the center of midfield again and the former Malaga man put in a tremendous shift without the ball. Winning back possession on a number of occasions and doing so with an urgency. Roamed and shifted positions with Asensio and Bale throughout.

Marco Asensio—7.5: A slow first half, but a magical second. Won the balm high up the pitch with his pressing and served up an assist for Bale with a low driven cross. Hit the woodwork with a thunderous volley on his right foot.

Gareth Bale—8.5:Alpha Bale was alive and well. So unlucky not to score the season opener on two occasions in the first half—once with a curling shot right outside the box and the other a diving header that bounced off the cross bar. He was involved and dangerous—helping to off-set the Getafe defense with long diagonal switches across be pitch and runs off the back line.

Karim Benzema—7: Works well in Lopetegui’s system, helping to continue the circulation of the ball and providing a target to run off of as the Frenchman provides inch perfect lay offs or one touch passes.

Substitutions:

Lucas Vazquez—6: Added some fresh legs and further dynamism to the right flank when he came on. Hounded down the opposition on countless occasions to help Madrid win back the ball.

Casemiro—7: His tactical nous on the defensive side of things is unmatched.Covers perfectly for Marcelo and Carvajal and had a few good tackles. Sprayed some nice long balls and had a good cameo helping Madrid keep the clean sheet.

Luka Modric—5.5: Didn’t see much of the ball, but when he did each touch was magic. Lopetegui is building the Croatians fitness up.