Player ratings: Real Madrid 2-0 Mallorca

Four down, seven to go. A Vinicius goal and a Ramos free kick was the difference maker at the Alfredo Di Stefano as Real Madrid inched past a spirited Mallorca team. It lacked the individual brilliance of Madrid’s last home game, however, scrapping out another victory and returning to the top of the table should merit Los Blancos as much praise as an impressive team performance.

Without further ado here is the part of the article that everyone agrees on, the player ratings!

Thibaut Courotis - 6.5

Didn’t have much to do, but made no mistakes when called upon. The perfect game for a goalkeeper some might say.

Dani Carvajal - 6

Failed to impress. He was often left on his own to deal with Iago Junior, even still, I felt his game was lacking and Madrid were fortunate were lucky that any of Junior’s crosses didn’t find a Mallorca head.He didn’t offer anything memorable up front either and will have to improve for the next outing on Sunday.

Sergio Ramos - 7

I will shamefully admit that I didn’t think Ramos was having a very good game up until he that second half free kick. He lacked the energy of previous showings and put in some clumsy tackles which left the Spaniard walking a tightrope at times in the second half. That free kick, much to the frustration of his critics, did his ratings the world of good. It’s just the third his has scored in his entire professional career and is another spectacular addition to the Ramos goal repertoire. Mallorca had been growing into the match up until that point and the second put a firm dents in any comeback chances for the visitors.

Raphael Varane - 7

The more impressive of the centre back pairing, Varane was superb defensively. He seemed to be involved in shutting down every Mallorca attack and his pace tracking back was vital in ensuring Los Blancos high-line wasn’t punished. The Frenchman has been solid since returning from the break and this was yet another impressive display.

Ferland Mendy - 6.5

He had some bright moments and was rock solid at the back. His offensive game is definitely getting better and he was quite unlucky not to have had an assist in the second half when his brilliant cross wasn’t met by a grateful boot. The yellow card towards the end was quite disappointing given Real have to travel to Espanyol next, a ground they have struggled at in the recent past. I feel more confident in such games with Mendy at the back rather than Marcelo in those type of games and one can only hope the Frenchman’s presence won’t be missed.

Fede Valverde - 7

Fede Valverde often found himself as the deepest midfield player in this system and it’s not a place I’m convinced he’s comfortable with. On at least two occasions, the Uruguayan was caught with possession in a dangerous area and in one move his attempted flick to escape pressure had Real scrambling to cover a Mallorca shot from range. Nonetheless, during the periods where Real Madrid were dominating the ball, Valverde was allowed to push further up and continued to display some fantastic attacking intelligence coupled with some pinpoint passing, the lazer guided ball into Vinicius in the second half a particular highlight.

Luka Modric - 7.5

The Croatian was deployed in a deeper role tonight and quite enjoyed the box to box role. His standout moment came in the first half when he assisted Vinicius opening goal, however, I felt his contribution breaking Mallorca’s press when coming out from the back was as crucial as the assist. His yellow card means he misses Real Madrid’s next game against Espanyol and, having come off in the 71st minute, will be well rested for the match against Getafe.

Eden Hazard - 7

Eden was deployed at 10 against Mallorca, sparking plenty of excitement pre-match. The Belgian had a solid match overall and was particularly impressive in the first half where he continuously found space between the Mallorcan lines to shoot and combine with Karim Benzema. He came off relatively early in the second half with Zidane rightfully looking at more crucial games down the road. Overall, it was a good match from Hazard at the centre of the pitch and hopefully this won’t be the last of him there.

Gareth Bale - 5

This was Gareth Bale’s first league start since February and his lack of involvement with the team so far should preface everything he did at the Alfredo Di Stefano on Wednesday night. The Welshman didn’t have a poor game, instead he put in a performance that is becoming all too familiar for Madrid fans in recent years, the bare minimum. He didn’t do anything inherently wrong offensively, but didn’t really offer anything either. He was fine defensively but was quite passive in his duties with every tackle looking quite leg heavy.

Perhaps he is genuinely tired, however as I said before, this showing is depressing familar. What made things worse was the showing of his Brazilian opposite number. Vinicius has embodied alot of what once made Gareth Bale great and watching that dynamic play out on the field was striking and sad.

Vinicius Junior - 8

There is no escaping the fact that this kid is electric. After a tireless display against Real Sociedad on Tuesday, Vinicius spread his wings a little against Mallorca. His game was filled with plenty of bravery and flair. One hopes that his opening goal is a slight glimpse of what might come in the teenager’s future, however, outside of that goal and a second half Benzema chance, Vini’s final product still needs some tuning.

Karim Benzema - 6.5

The Frenchman had a solid showing, combining well with Hazard in the first half. He often found himself out wide in the second half which limited the number of the chances he had on goal (a shot from a Vinicius pass the standout opportunity). I felt he wasn’t as involved as he has been in previous matches, which might speak more highly of Vinicius than anything else, however I have no real complaints.

Isco - N/A

I am not entirely comfortable with long hair at Real Madrid, but it has gained some admirers.

Marco Asensio - N/A

Some nice touches but was brought on too late to really establish himself.

Brahim Diaz - N/A

Nice to see he’s alive, was a fingertip away from adding a third towards the end.

Mariano Diaz - N/A

Also came close to scoring.