Player Ratings: Barcelona 2-1 Real Madrid; 2023 La Liga

Another disappointing Clasico result where Real Madrid failed to impose themselves and lacked the energy required to properly compete with Barcelona.

Full match player ratings below:

Thibaut Courtois—6: Came up with some huge saves on Raphinha, but was poor with his on-ball distribution. Lumped the ball long to no real target and saw the ball come straight back down Real Madrid’s throats.

Dani Carvajal—4: Corrected an early mistake by toe-poking the ball of Lewandowski. Fought as hard as he could, but the 31-year-old Dani Carvajal is no longer built for three high-intensity 90 minute games over a 7-day period. Was absolutely gassed at the end of match and his inability to recover in the dying minutes led to Barcelona’s game-winning goal. Lost the ball a game-high 23 times, more than twice as much as any other Madrid player. Barcelona targeted the full-back when Madrid were in possession, funneled their defensive shape to force him on the ball (Dani having the most touches on the field) and it’s clear why with his turn-over rate.

Eder Militao—7: Always a fun battle between Lewandowski and Militao, both of whom are never afraid to throw their body around. Finished the match with 5 clearances, 4 blocked shots, 2 interceptions, 2 completed tackles, and 1 key pass.

Toni Rudiger—5.5: Unable to match the form he showed vs Liverpool, was shaky under pressure and coughed the ball up 9 times. Played a total of 7 long balls, only one of which was accurate.

Nacho—6: Did not have the same joy against Raphinha that he had when playing Salah mid-week. Picked up an early yellow card which minimized some of his aggression, a key part to the defender’s game.

Eduardo Camavinga—6.5: Had some difficulty with the movement of Barcelona’s midfield and in the second half, Carlo was visibly trying to get instructions to the young Frenchman. Solid in possession, but rarely forayed forward and we did not see the same interchange between he and Toni Kroos like against Liverpool.

Toni Kroos—5: Felt like a bit-part player in this one, never really got going. Only managed 42 touches — astronomically low for a player like Kroos.

Luka Modric—6: Tried to have the energy and might to press, but it was often a wasted effort as his team did not follow his cue. Heat map shows him all over the pitch, but like Kroos was never able to stamp his authority on the game and only had 49 touches

Fede Valverde—4: A really poor showing from the Uruguayan. Overhit passes, including what could have been a pivotal cut-back to Benzema but the weight of the ball meant the striker was forced to pass to an on-running Carvajal. Lost possession 10 times and did not get up the flank quick enough in transition to support Vinicius and Benzema.

Vinicius Junior—7: A spark in the first-half who created the goal and nearly set Benzema up for a second. His influence faded in the second half and he started taking more “hit-and-hope” shots.

Karim Benzema—5: This Real Madrid team misses last season’s Benzema and he continues to look half-fit and a touch slow in his reactions.

Substitutions:

Rodrygo—7: A spark off the bench playing as a #10. Broke lines with his dribbling and movement and should have scored with his lone shot of the game.

Dani Ceballos—7: Got in the face of the Barcelona players and looked determined to make an impact. Combined well and was composed on the ball. Should have come on earlier in the match.

Tchouameni—8: This was the Tchouameni that was promised — winning 50/50 duels, breaking up plays, keep Barcelona pinned back by recovering the ball high up the pitch. Had a rebound opportunity fall his way, but hit a tame shot at Ter Stegen.

Marco Asensio—8: Played with a chip on his shoulder. Looked up for the occasion and ended up scoring what would have been the game-winning goal in an alternate universe. Was called off-sides but the slightest of margins. Despite the overturned goal, kept fighting and was a constant threat in transition.

Ferland Mendy—4: First game back from injury and Ferland Mendy was poor. Formed as part of a seven man passing sequence in Barcelona’s final third, but when the ball got to him from Benzema, over-hit the return pass. In the dying moments of the game, switched off and allowed too much space between he and Kessie, with the Ivorian going on to score a 90th minute winner.