Player Ratings: Real Madrid 1 - Athletic Bilbao 2; 2021 Spanish Super Cup

A strong second-half push wasn’t enough for Real Madrid as they lose their fight against Athletic Bilbao in the semi-finals of the Spanish Super Cup.

Raul Garcia had the opponents up 2-0 at halftime and Zidane’s men tried to work themselves back into the match. Marco Asensio hit the woodwork three times, Ramos saw two efforts go wide, Benzema had a goal offside and Mendy skied a glorious opportunity.

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Thibaut Courtois — 7: Left out to dry on the first goal and guessed the wrong way on the penalty but it had tons of power anyway. He’s conceded 16/18 penalties this season. Big stop to prevent Athletic from making it 3-1 around the 80th minute.

Lucas Vazquez — 5.75: The villain of the night. Two clumsy mistakes resulting in both of Raul Garcia’s goals: a poor giveaway and a tackle in the box. Tried to make amends in the second with some good stats. Finished with two aerials won, five key passes and four tackles.

Sergio Ramos — 7: Thought to have picked up a knock in the warm-up but carried on. Saw how he’s slowed down tonight. Wasn’t quick enough to close down Garcia on the first goal. Tried to be another emergency striker in the dying minutes with two good header chances that each went just wide. Finished with 94% pass completion, three shots, four aerials won and one tackle.

Raphael Varane — 6: Wasn’t too involved before picking up some discomfort. Out of position for the first goal and couldn’t recover. Finished with a 93% pass completion rate, one aerial won. Subbed at halftime.

Ferland Mendy — 6.75: Saw tons of action tonight in the first half as. Had a great opportunity to tie the match and push it into extra time but skied the shot. Arguably should have left it to Kroos. Finished with one shot, three key passes, three dribbles, 92% pass completion and one tackle.

Casemiro — 7: Quiet in the first half. Directed his header to Benzema for the goal. A perfect last-ditch tackle on Williams to keep it from going 3-1. Finished with one tackle and three key passes.

Toni Kroos — 6.75: Bit off in the first half with misplaced passes (87% pass completion to be specific - very low for Kroos). Couldn’t find the target with any of his long-range attempts. Finished with four shots, one aerial won, one tackle and two key passes.

Luka Modric — 7: A creative outlet for Madrid in a frustrating game. Connected well with the attacking line. Finished with one shot and two dribbles. Subbed after 67 mins.

Marco Asensio — 7.25: One of the most threatening players, great to see him playing with confidence again. Unlucky tonight though after hitting the woodwork a staggering three times. Lively in both halves. Finished with six shots and one aerial won.

Karim Benzema — 7: Didn’t get into the match until the second half but pushed to get one past Simón and managed to thanks to VAR. Had the ball in the back of the net a second time but it was rightfully ruled offside. Finished with three shots, two aerials won and three key passes. Subbed after 88 mins.

Eden Hazard —6.5: Earns another start and got off on a strong note but quickly fizzled out. One good opportunity in the early minutes but couldn’t get his footing. Finished with three shots, one key pass and 92% pass completion. Subbed after 67 mins.

Substitutes:

Nacho — 6.5: In for Varane at halftime. Decent performance and looked calm at the back when under pressure. Finished with 91% pass completion and one aerial won.

Fede Valverde — 6: Subbed in for Modric after 67 mins. Had plenty of time to make a difference but didn’t really add much. Finished with one tackle.

Vini Jr. — 6.25: Subbed in for Hazard after 67 mins and tried to make an impact. Produced two great crosses into the box for Ramos to meet. Unfortunate that they didn’t hit the net. Finished with one dribble and one tackle.

Mariano — N/A: In for Benzema in the 88th minute but had no impact.