Player Ratings: Elche 1 - Real Madrid 1; 2020 La Liga

In their final match of 2020, Real Madrid travelled to the Estadio Manuel Martínez Valero for a match against Elche and head home with just one point.

A fast-paced first half eventually phased out and a clumsy challenge from Carvajal allowed Fidel Chaves to score from the spot and rule out Modric’s opener.

See player ratings below.

Thibaut Courtois—8: Guessed the correct way for the penalty but couldn’t get a hand to it. Will be unhappy to concede again from the spot. Earns a higher rating than most for the strong stop on the final kick of the match. Team-high 100% pass completion.

Dani Carvajal—7: Had a great first half but conceded the penalty in the second. Caused Elche problems with his crosses. Tried to make up for the error with a shot of his own but couldn’t make the most of it. Finished with two shots, one dribble, one aerial won, one key pass and four tackles.

Raphael Varane—7.75: Very comfortable performance from the Frenchman who didn’t misplace a step during the match. Did well to cover Elche’s counter runs and track players. Managed space when Ramos moved up into the attack. Finished with a 96% pass completion rate, two aerial duels won and three tackles.

Sergio Ramos—7.5: Another staple performance from the captain but he couldn’t encourage his team to find all three points. Finished with two shots, three aerial duels and one tackle.

Marcelo —7: Started over Mendy tonight. Floated up top often which left the defence exposed and players like Varane and Modric needing to cover his space. Was lucky a few times not to be exploited by Elche who pressured him a lot. Volley attempt hit the crossbar, had two dribbles and one tackle.

Casemiro—7.5: The midfield was a bit quiet tonight besides the opening 20 minutes or so and Casemiro tried to find movement later on but it was fairly stagnant. Helped Varane cover ground. Finished with one dribble, three aerial duels, one key pass and one tackle.

Toni Kroos —8: Almost opened up the scoring but couldn’t guide his header into the net. Was also a bit stagnant in the midfidfield against Elche’s gridlocked defence. Finished with one shot, 96% pass completion rate, three key passes, three tackles. Subbed after 75 mins.

Luka Modric —8: The most active midfielder tonight and always looked to move the team forward. Another strong performance for the entire 90 mins. Scored a diving header to give Real the lead. Later placed an inch-perfect cross in the 89th minute but Benzema couldn’t make the most of it. Finished with two shots and two dribbles.

Lucas Vazquez—7.5: Another tireless performance from Vazquez who was a bit unlucky not to score himself. Pestered Elche with crosses which caused them problems and did well to help spread the team out wide. Finished with two shots, three dribbles, one key pass and one tackle. Subbed after 75 mins.

Karim Benzema—7.5: Very quiet tonight given his recent form but still active. Dropped deep to help the midfield regain some fluidity but that left the attack missing any focal point. Missed a great ball in from Modric in the dying minutes. Finished with one shot and one key pass.

Marco Asensio—7.5: Earned the start as Rodrygo is out injured. Looked way more confident tonight and that’s a positive takeaway. Had a rocket of a shot hit off the crossbar and teed up Modric’s header. Finished with two shots and 98% pass completion. Subbed after 85 mins.

Substitutions:

Eden Hazard—6: Came on for Lucas Vazquez in the 75th minute. Was quiet and couldn’t add any impact as a substitute. Finished with one shot.

Fede Valverde—6: Came on for Toni Kroos in the 75th minute. Didn’t add much to the game either.

Vini Jr.—N/A: On in the 85th minute for Asensio. Not enough time on the pitch to make any impact.