Player Ratings: Inter Milan 0 - 1 Real Madrid; 2021 UEFA Champions League Group Stage

Real Madrid opened up their UEFA Champions League campaign with a morale boosting away win against Inter Milan in the San Siro. Thibaut Courtois was sensational in net, giving Ancelotti’s men the chance to knick a late goal and secure the three points.

Full match player ratings below:

Thibaut Courtois—9: Five saves from inside the box to keep Madrid in the match. Without Courtois, Inter would have secured 3 points.

Dani Carvajal—6: Recovered well when Madrid lost the ball. Relatively quiet in the attack, but solid defensively against Perisic, Bastoni, and Lautaro.

Eder Militao—8: His best performance of the season thus far. 4 tackles, 4 clearances, 3 blocked shots and the Brazilian won 5/6 ground duels. Dealt with the threat of Lautaro well.

David Alaba—6.5: Stepped aggressively to Eden Dzeko throughout the match with relative success but struggled against the Bosnian’s aerial presence.

Nacho—6: Surprisingly played at left back, had limited involvement in the attack and was troubled by the off ball runs of Barella and Dzeko in the first half. Defended well against Denzel Dumfries overlapping runs in the second half.

Casemiro—6: Saw a lot of the ball in the first half and struggled to play with the tempo Madrid required to break Inter down. His energy and tactical awareness was crucial in pushing the midfield line in the second half.

Fede Valverde—8: Never stopped running throughout the match. Played the pre-assist to Camavinga on Rodyrgo’s goal with a brilliant chipped through ball over Inter’s back four.

Luka Modric—5: It was an off day for Luka Modric. Was never able to find a hole in the Inter defensive wall.

Lucas Vazquez—5: Far too slow on the ball, needed to take an active first touch to avoid losing possession. Was likely placed a starter to provide width and defensive cover, but the game called for a stronger offensive weapon.

Vinicius JR—7: Despite not managing a goal or an assist, Vinicius was a constant threat to the Inter backline. When Denzel Dumfries entered the match, Vinicius took advantage of his inability to defend 1 v 1 against the Brazilian.

Karim Benzema—6: Headed an opportunity just wide after a lofted cross from Fede Valverde. Still managed 2 key passes in an otherwise quiet performance for KB’s standards.

Substitutions:

Rodrygo Goes—9: Did everything you could ask a substitute to do. Worked tirelessly off the ball, created offensive threat out of nothing, and provided a good attitude off the bench. His strong performance resulted in the game winning goal in the 89th minute.

Eduardo Camavinga—8: Played the last 10 minutes and brought a spark to the midfield. Provided the game winning assist with a lovely one time pass out of the air to Rodrygo Goes to finish.