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Shakhtar Donetsk have done it again against Real Madrid. Heading into Matchday 5 of the Champions League, Zinedine Zidane’s side could have secured their spot in the Round of 16 with a win.
What started out as a strong 10 minutes became another masterclass from Shakhtar who knew when to strike. Zidane’s players, on the other hand, ended the match looking like they couldn’t find way out.
See player ratings below.
Thibaut Courtois – 6: Nothing to do in the first half. Two strong saves but was left hung out to dry by his defenders. Another frustrating night for him again.
Lucas Vazquez – 6: Not a terrible performance from the Spaniard but his movement up top left the centre-backs exposed. Some good crosses down the right wing and tried to link up with Modric a bit.
Raphael Varane – 5: Hard tackles on Júnior Moraes and Dentinho. Soft header couldn’t find the back of the net and pace was a bit slow. At fault for giving away Madrid’s first goal alongside Nacho. Three aerials won.
Nacho – 5: Poor pass to force Varane to make a strong challenge on Moraes. Two attempts on goal but both caused Anatolii Trubin little trouble. Out of position sometimes and at fault for the first goal too. Three aerials won.
Ferland Mendy – 6: Another good individual performance and made lots of darting runs. Worked well with Asensio down the wing. Put himself in two good scoring positions but couldn’t make anything out of it. Finished with four dribbles. Needs a bit more confidence.
Toni Kroos – 6.5: Left to help the central defenders with Casemiro on the bench. Good interceptions plus three key passes, three headers and two tackles. Some misplaced crosses. Lost energy and momentum as Shakhtar kept scoring.
Luka Modric – 6: Not very active in the game today with just one key pass from the Croatian and a few misplaced ones as well. Tired legs maybe? Linked up with Vazquez well but needed some more creativity tonight.
Martin Ødegaard – 6.5: Great ball control which helped break through a tough Shakhtar side. Had two shots on goal including a great chance after 30 mins. Three key passes and one dribble as well. Subbed after 77 minutes.
Rodrygo – 5: Good defending in the first half but very little to offer even after being handed the start. Finished with four dribbles and two tackles, though. Subbed after 77 minutes.
Karim Benzema – 6: Tested keeper early but died down as time went on. Total of three shots. He’s certainly easing his way back to full fitness but the team needed a goal tonight. All smiles on the bench after coming off, not sure why. Subbed after 77 minutes.
Marco Asensio – 6.5: Must have been reading the headlines this past week as he was one of the most influential players. Hit the post in the fourth minute and also pushed Trubin to make a finger-tip save. Finished with three shots, three dribbles and three tackles.
Substitutes:
Isco – 5.5: Came on for Ødegaard after 77 minutes. Tried to get involved but wasn’t much of an influence.
Vini Jr. – 6: The most active substitute. Came on for Rodrygo after 77 minutes and tried to push the team towards goal. Finished with one dribble and one shot.
Mariano Diaz – 4: Subbed on for Benzema after 77 minutes. He can score in crucial games and this was a match where Zidane needed him to do that but was another to lack any influence.