Real Madrid News
Manchester City 4-0 Real Madrid: Player Ratings
Real Madrid collapsed to an embarrassing 4-0 defeat at the Etihad late on Sunday night and saw their hopes of a title defence come crashing down.
There was everything to play for on the night with neither team having the edge ahead of kickoff. Yet, it became clear quite early that Manchester City were the more dominant side on the night and the result is only deserving for Pep Guardiola’s men.
Los Blancos were nowhere close to the mark at Etihad and the result once again throws doubt on the continuity of Carlo Ancelotti and several players. After all, it was not just a defeat but utter humiliation.
Madrid Universal brings you the player ratings from Manchester City 4-0 Real Madrid.
Thibaut Courtois: 6
The Belgian enjoyed a strong opening spell but could not do much about Bernardo Silva’s opening goal. The second goal, 14 minutes later, was a strike far too powerful for the shot-stopper.
Apart from the goals conceded, Courtois’ night was nothing short of stunning as he kept Erling Haaland at bay single-handedly at times.
Daniel Carvajal: 4
The Spanish fullback was taken for a joyride by Jack Grealish who enjoyed a special night down Real Madrid’s right flank. With his nonchalant moves and tricks, Grealish appeared to have Carvajal’s number and got the better of him with ease repeatedly.
At multiple points in the game, the right-back position appeared to be Los Blancos’ most glaring weakness. It is safe to say that Carvajal’s display was a nightmare.
Eder Militao: 5
The Brazilian had a point to prove after being awarded the start on Wednesday and provided worthy competition in the opening minutes. Intercepted the initial attempt leading to the second goal but could not do much about the follow-up. Very poor defending for the third goal that went down as an own goal.
David Alaba: 4.5
The centre-back was effective on the night but not much can be said in his favour after the team conceded two vital goals in the first half. Alaba was far from the level exhibited in the first leg and the result showed.
Eduardo Camavinga: 5
The French protege struggled to replicate his first leg showing on Wednesday night as Bernardo Silva completely slipped out of his pocket. Moreover, Kevin de Bruyne dictated the game down his flank.
Federico Valverde: 4
Struggled through the ninety minutes against Manchester City’s inspired midfield. Subpar off the ball and nothing flashy in possession.
Toni Kroos: 6
The German played 70 minutes on the night and managed a mediocre showing with no contributions in attack. Completed 92% of his passed but was completely outplayed by the likes of Gundogan and De Bruyne.
Luka Modric: 4.5
The Croatian international for once looked out of his depth as the combined quality of Man City was just too much to handle. Dished out a poor performance for his astronomical standards in both attack and defence.
Rodrygo Goes: 4
In 80 minutes, Rodrygo did not record a single shot and had just one dribble to his name. The youngster could not turn up when the pressure was the highest as he played a pale spell.
Karim Benzema: 4.5
No points or accolades for Benzema this time around, and it is safe to say that his performance deserved nothing better. Had no shots on goal despite being Real Madrid’s striker in a must-win encounter.
Vinicius Jr: 5
The Brazilian was in the spotlight after his man-of-the-match display last week but could not recreate his incredible showing. Created absolutely nothing in 90 minutes and ended up on the losing side deservedly.
Substitutes
Antonio Rudiger: 5
Was brought on to control the bleeding against a voracious Manchester City but could not do much to help the team’s cause.
Marco Asensio: 5
Came on for the final 20 minutes but failed to provide the X factor that Carlo Ancelotti expected of him.
Lucas Vazquez: NA
Came on too late to make a tangible impact.
Dani Ceballos: NA
Played very less to warrant a rating.
Aurelien Tchouameni: NA
Featured just for ten minutes.
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid president dreaming of trident attack featuring €180 million-rated French starlet
Real Madrid have drawn a comprehensive roadmap for the upcoming summer transfer window and the club’s squad planning ahead of the new season, but as far as the club’s ambition is concerned, the objective is to sign Kylian Mbappe in 2024.
Real Madrid are expected to revolve everything around the idea of signing the PSG superstar next year, reports Alfredo Matilla and Sergio Santos.
As per the two Spanish journalists, Florentino Perez is envisioning a Real Madrid strikeforce comprising Rodrygo, Vinicius Junior, and Mbappe.
The report points out that Real Madrid view the Frenchman as a realistic target as they expect him not to accept the option of extending his contract at PSG until 2025 next year. His fallout with the PSG has been already well-documented this year.
With Les Parisien seemingly failing to live up to Mbappe’s ambition, it could only be a matter of time before he opts to leave the club. To that end, Real Madrid will be prepared, especially at the end of next season.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid are starting to lose hope of signing Erling Haaland, because of the striker’s excellent relationship with Pep Guardiola which could keep him at Man City beyond 2024. Mbappe, therefore, has emerged as the top target for Los Blancos.
The potential strikeforce comprising Vinicius, Rodrygo and Mbappe could see Real Madrid operating in a 4-3-3 formation, with Mbappe playing at the centre. It must be noted that the club are also involved in the pursuit of Kai Havertz.
The German could be an intriguing addition to this strikeforce – potentially making Real Madrid one of the most feared attacking sides in Europe. However, it remains to be seen whether or not Los Blancos can actually manage to pull the signing of Mbappe or Havertz in the near future.
