Player Ratings: Real Madrid 0-1 Barcelona; 2023 Copa del Rey El Clasico - Leg 1

With Barcelona coming off two back to back defeats and Real Madrid coming off a disappointing draw vs Atletico, both teams were hungry to prove a point. Given Barcelona’s 7-point lead in La Liga, the importance of the Copa del Rey trophy has only gained more significance for Los Blancos. Sadly, Real Madrid were massively disaapointing and failed to create any clear-cut opportunities against a Simeone-esque Barcelona set-up.

Full match players ratings below:

Thibaut Courtois—6: Only had 1 save to make because he faced 2 shots on target the whole game. After Barcelona scored, they bunkered in and barely crossed the half-way line.

Dani Carvajal—4: Way too much of Real Madrid’s attack relied on weak-side switches to Carvajal and hope that the fullback could put in a good cross or threaten with a shot inside the box. Neither happened.

Eder Militao—5: Scored the lone own goal of the game after chasing Kessie following a misplaced Camavinga pass. Denied Ferran Torres and Ansu Fati any opportunities.

Toni Rudiger—6: Like Militao, was solid defensively. Improved with his passing under pressure.

Nacho—6: Looked good at left-back, dispossesing Raphinha on multiple 1 v 1 occasions and getting up the pitch as much as possible.

Eduardo Camavinga—4: An up and down match from the 20-year-old. Caught in possesion in dangerous positions, including on the goal conceded. Had some Camavinga crunching tackles, but too often broke the team’s shape when he left the pivot position vacant.

Luka Modric—5: Should have scored within the opening seconds of the match. Operated as the most advanced midfielder of the three, but failed to leave an imprint in the final third.

Toni Kroos—5: Often the deepest midfielder, trying to dictate play but struggled in transition when left as the pivot.

Fede Valverde—6: Tried everything to try and carve open a hole including multiple well-timed cut back crosses. Valverde finished the match with 4 key passes.

Vinicius Junior—5: The Brazilian never stops trying — his intent, effort, and heart can never be questioned. The problem? Too much of Ancelotti’s offensive scheme relies on the Brazilian. With Araujo mitigating his impact, more options in attack are needed. Rodrygo is a must-have starter vs Barcelona.

Karim Benzema—4: The sample size has been large enough to say Benzema has had a poor season by his astronomical standards. He is a player expected to make the difference, but physical and fast opponents like Kounde and Araujo.

Substitutions:

Rodrygo—6: Needed to be brought on earlier. Was just starting to get going as the match was ending. Looked for combination plays and took a shot from outside the box that nearly curled into the back of the net.

Tchouameni—5: Dribbled into trouble on more than one occasion and offered little after coming on. Still looks way off his best level.

Alvaro—N/A: Brought on far too late in the match, especially with the team producing 40 crosses in this match.