Player Ratings: Granada 1 - 4 Real Madrid; 2021 La Liga

An away trip after the international break is always a difficult test, but Real Madrid left the scenic city of Granada unscathed. Marco Asensio kept his spot on the right wing and rewarded Carlo Ancelotti’s faith in him, while Nacho featured in place of a jet-lagged Militao and also managed to get on the score sheet. Real Madrid carved open chances with ease in the second half and came away with a well deserved 4-1 victory. Full match player ratings below:

Thibaut Courtois—8: Played it safe with much of his distribution, opting for a long ball over a shorter and riskier pass. Came up big with a huge save at the end of match to deny Granada a second goal.

Dani Carvajal—8: Team high 7 clearances, 5 of the 7 in the first half alone. Provided good width on the right and had numerous dangerous attacking runs. Nullified Alberto Soro on Granada’s left wing.

Nacho—8.5: Scored a great goal off a well rehearsed set piece. Nacho’s near post run was rewarded and the defender finished the opportunity like a veteran goal scorer.

David Alaba—9: A clear stand out, the best of the backline. Made countless interceptions and swept up any Granada counter attack. We are running out of superlatives to describe the Austrian’s performances.

Ferland Mendy—8: Another defender that got on the scoresheet. Slotted home the fourth and final goal of the game with his right foot.

Casemiro—7: Played large stretches of the match very deep, as an auxiliary center back, helping the team build out from the back. An interesting tactical wrinkle from this match — will it continue for future matches?

Luka Modric—8.5: The Croatian’s class was on full display. Anytime it looked like he trapped, he managed to wiggle his way out of pressure and put his team on the front foot.

Toni Kroos—9: Two assists within the first half. The German cyborg has been back to his very best since his early season injury.

Marco Asensio—8: The Spaniard had another good game on the right, where he was an active presence throughout the white match. Scored the opening goal with a composed right footed shot.

Karim Benzema—7.5: In what can be considered a “quieter” game from Benzema, he still managed 3 key passes, 2 completed dribbles, and 4 shots.

Vinicius Junior—8.5: A quiet first half, but Vinicius came alive in the second stanza. He provoked the Granada defense and forced Monchu into his red card. Capped off a great team goal to put the match beyond doubt for Real Madrid.

Substitutions:

Rodrygo Goes—8: A strong 20 minute cameo on the left wing. Nearly scored twice and played Benzema through with a lovely backheel inside the box.

Isco—N/A: Game was already dusted when the late substitutes entered the match.

Eduardo Camavinga—N/A: Game was already dusted when the late substitutes entered the match.

Luka Jovic—N/A:Game was already dusted when the late substitutes entered the match.

Jesus Vallejo—N/A: Game was already dusted when the late substitutes entered the match.