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Real Madrid mid-season ratings: Mbappe perfect 10, Alonso gets 6
Midway through the season, Real Madrid may not be exactly where they would have wanted under a new manager – but the past five months have shown exactly why the job of managing the men in white is said to be the most difficult job in the world.
Xabi Alonso has seen it all over the past few months, from the highs of a flying start to how quickly the roof threatened to fall on him once matters went awry.
Yet, as the league season is close to its halfway mark with 18 games played, Los Blancos are four points behind Barcelona in La Liga and in firm second-place. Last season, they were ahead of the Catalans at this point.
Their situation in the UEFA Champions League, however, is far better than it was last season for they are in seventh place in the league stage and well-placed to finish in the top eight.
Madrid Universal brings you the mid-season player ratings for the squad of Real Madrid that has contributed to a significant chunk of minutes so far this season.
Defence
Thibaut Courtois: 9
The Belgian veteran continues to be a mainstay in Real Madrid’s plans and one of the most important players on the field this season and has started all 18 of the team’s games in La Liga so far.
In that duration, he has averaged under a goal conceded and 2.3 saves per game with a good pass completion rate and has made genuine game-saving contributions as always.
In the UEFA Champions League, his numbers are even better as he averages a staggering 5.2 saves per game with an 87% success rate and just 0.8 goals conceded every ninety minutes.
Fran Garcia: 6.5
The Spaniard has made the most of Ferland Mendy’s absence and established himself as the first-choice backup left-back in Xabi Alonso’s plans.
He has only made five starts in the league, but his ability to link up in attack and provide an edge in the final third makes him a good fit for Alonso’s system. He does not have any direct goal contribution yet, but one can expect him to grow in the second half of the season.
Alvaro Carreras: 8
The new signing has been one of the revelations of Real Madrid’s season so far, for he has fit into the team’s dynamics, style and philosophy like he was always meant for it.
Carreras’ defensive solidity down the left flank has come as a significant upgrade to the options the team had last season, and his ability to transform defence to attack and even add numbers in the final third is proving massive.
One of the first names on the team sheet, he already has 15 starts and 1341 minutes in La Liga with a goal and an assist to his name.
Eder Militao: 7.5
Following his return from injury, Militao quickly established himself as a defensive mainstay for Real Madrid alongside Dean Huijsen, recovering his former level and looking like his pre-injury self.
With a goal and an assist to his name in 12 starts, an average of close to ten defensive actions and four recoveries per game, everything seemed to be on track for him to have a fine season. Unfortunately, however, a hamstring blow now has him ruled out for several months again.
Dean Huijsen: 7
The new signing in central defence started off strongly at his new club, leading the backline in Antonio Rudiger’s absence and earning praise as one of the team’s best defensive signings in recent years.
While he has largely maintained a similar level, his performances have seen a slight drop since he began picking up injuries in recent months to a point where he is now back to fighting for a spot in the starting XI.
Huijsen’s passing range and long-balls, by far, are his best attributes and he has also proven to be a strong tackler. His aerial ability and occasional misjudgement of situations, however, can make him a liability at times.
Raul Asencio: 7
Asencio suffered a rough start to the season after a disastrous FIFA Club World Cup and began the new campaign as an option used primarily off the bench by the manager.
His importance, however, grew in recent months after the team went into a full-blown defensive crisis and he has done well to step up and deliver.
There is indeed a school of thought that he is not quite at the level he showed last season, but he has done well of late and has overseen three clean sheets with an average of over five defensive actions per game.
Antonio Rudiger: 6.5
Rudiger spent the opening months of the new season recovering from surgery and taking time off for his body to recover. He only made his return to the field at the beginning of this month against Girona.
Since his comeback, however, he has been one of the bright spots in Real Madrid’s dysfunctional setup and has done well in La Liga with five straight starts. His performance against Manchester City, however, became popular for all the wrong reasons.
Trent Alexander-Arnold: 5
Perhaps the most hyped summer signing, Trent Alexander-Arnold has been unable to leave a mark at his new club yet. The Englishman has been slow to adapt to Real Madrid’s style, from a defensive standpoint and also in terms of not having a target man to play the ball into.
Yet, the single-largest factor limiting his development has been his injury record for he simply seems unable to string games together without a setback. He has only made five starts and played 398 minutes in the league so far and has just one assist to show.
Dani Carvajal: 6
The club captain has barely been able to stay fit this season, managing only nine appearances, in which he has not had an impact expected of a player of his stature.
But his leadership and experience have been missed by the team, especially in recent weeks when they have gone through a lean patch.
Midfield
Aurelien Tchouameni: 8
The Frenchman has largely been seen to be one of the biggest beneficiaries of Xabi Alonso’s arrival and has indeed been one of the team’s better players this season.
While he has primarily operated as a pivot, he has been asked to drop deeper into the role of a third centre-back in the buildup and has held the fortress well in that position.
Tchouameni has now started 15 of Real Madrid’s 18 league games and averages over ten defensive actions and four recoveries per game, all while completing 91% of his passes and creating four big chances.
Eduardo Camavinga: 6.5
Camavinga’s season, much like Rudiger’s, started late as the player battled with fitness concerns in the opening phase of the season. He first featured for the team in September and suffered a setback in November.
In between, there have been strong performances against Athletic Club and Girona this month. His importance will only grow as the season passes, especially given that the manager does not have a backup for Aurelien Tchouameni as it stands.
Federico Valverde: 7
The captain has largely been positive in Real Madrid’s plans so far, although still not at the best version he has shown to be capable of in recent years.
A large part of his season so far has gone in playing out of position, at right-back given the long list of injuries in the department. He has done well playing in the makeshift role, but his usual tenacity appears to be lacking when in midfield.
Arda Guler: 7.5
The Turkish star has probably been the single biggest beneficiary of Alonso’s arrival and has taken his prominence in the team to a different level.
Guler has largely excelled at serving as Real Madrid’s creator-in-chief this season, primarily in linking with Kylian Mbappe in the final third. His physicality, however, has been a limitation that has exposed him in big games.
With three goals and five assists in just the league so far, however, there is not much one can argue against his statistics except that his form took a conspicuous dip in December.
Jude Bellingham: 6.5
The Real Madrid midfielder has been one of the causes of disarray in Alonso’s system, for Guler’s prominence has left him still fighting a battle in terms of his best position on the field.
Bellingham has featured so far as a central midfielder, a No. 10 and on either flank but has not really clicked in any of the roles when combined with the Turkish star.
Despite that, he has made some vital contributions on the field. His output may not be poor, but the manager has a big puzzle to solve in the second half of the campaign as to where exactly the Englishman fits in his plans.
Attack
Kylian Mbappe: 10
The Frenchman, by far, has been Real Madrid’s best player so far and has single-handedly carried Los Blancos’ attack taking full responsibility for the goalscoring.
In 18 La Liga games, Mbappe has scored a staggering 18 goals and provided four assists. In the UCL, he has scored nine goals in five games. In all, he has contributed more than half of the team’s goals.
Mbappe is enjoying one of his best-ever seasons and Real Madrid’s situation would have been starkly different had it not been for the Frenchman.
Vinicius Jr.: 6.5
Vinicius’ season has been a bizarre one on many levels. In a disciplinary sense, however, he still remains the same stubborn player. The player has been better than the version of him that turned up last season, but that does not say a lot for he was well off his best last season.
Meanwhile, he has shown decent signs of linking up and adapting to Mbappe and has occasionally popped up with a big-game performance that leads one to believe that his best is just around the corner.
Rodrygo: 6.5
Rodrygo started the season virtually out of Alonso’s plans, feeding on a few minutes gifted to him every few games. He was, however, always determined to prove his worth to the manager despite strong departure talks.
His chance did not come until very recently, but when given the start against Manchester City, the Brazilian star showed why he can be a reliable player. He ended his goal drought and has shown a good level in following games.
Franco Mastantuono: 6.5
The new signing has been one of Alonso’s more commonly experimented solutions on the right wing – a position where no option has really convinced this season. He got off to a bright start to life, but expectedly still had areas where he was to improve.
Pubalgia cut short his involvement in recent weeks to a large extent, leading to him losing his starting spot.
Brahim Diaz: 6.5
Not used regularly by Alonso, but whenever called upon, Brahim has delivered for the team more often than not. A goal and two assists from 18 matches (four starts, 484 minutes) for the Morrocan, who is away on AFCON duty now.
Manager – Xabi Alonso: 6
Xabi Alonso’s time at Real Madrid has been a roller coaster, but it would be more apt to rate his tenure so far based on the changes he has implemented at the club rather than the results.
After all, results are always mandatory for any manager at the club. What set Alonso apart, however, was his idea of changing the way the team play to morph them into a more cohesive unit rather than a team relying on moments of brilliance.
Despite the manager’s ideology before arriving at the club, they seem to be in a similar boat halfway through the season. The attack is still reliant on Mbappe, the defence continues to be leaky and the midfield takes or loses cohesion based on the selections.
The team are retaining more possession than usual and began the season creating far better and regular chances in the opposition box. In recent weeks, however, even that creativity has fizzled out.
To rate Alonso highly considering how he has not delivered on what was expected the most of him, needless to say, would be unjustified. After all, his handling of the dressing room has also not been particularly impressive.
The derby weekend is here as Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid are set to lock horns on Sunday afternoon at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano.
After an eventful transfer window and a stuttering start, Atletico Madrid reaffirmed their position as genuine title contenders and have done decently well so far this season.
With four wins, a draw and a defeat to their name, they sit on 13 points after six games.
Real Madrid, meanwhile, have only had one defeat and are on 15 points after as many games, only behind Barcelona who sit on a perfect record.
Diego Simeone’s men had a shaky start to the season, but have picked up steam in recent weeks with seven goals scored and none conceded in their last two games.
Given their strong record against Real Madrid at home, they will look to take all three points tomorrow.
Madrid Universal brings you three talking points ahead of Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid.
A test away from home
It is no secret that Real Madrid’s form on the road this season has been poor, not necessarily for the results themselves but how the team have conducted themselves in away grounds.
For the first time in years, there appears to be a sense of uncertainty around Los Blancos’ ability to produce results away from home.
For long periods in the game, they appear willing to hand over the momentum, and the resultant pressure has seen them collapse.
A last-gasp winner from Carlos Espi handed them the win against Espanyol away from home, and they went on to lose against Real Betis in their second away fixture of the season.
Most recently, they bottled a 2-0 lead against Elche and again required a stoppage-time winner from Espi to take the three points.
Tomorrow’s game, in that sense, is extremely challenging, for it is not only away from home but against an opposition of high quality.
Playing Atletico Madrid at the Metropolitano is as challenging as games get, and Real Madrid have an extremely poor record at the venue.
Since 2017, Real Madrid have only won twice at the Metropolitano with three defeats and three draws. Last season, they suffered a 5-2 defeat and the game went on to break the team’s momentum.
Heading into such a tricky clash with an ongoing crisis away from home makes Sunday’s clash very complicated for the Merengues.
Arda Guler has to return
After a long time, Jose Mourinho took the Yan Diomande experiment to the next level and handed the player back-to-back starts for Real Madrid.
Clearly, the new signing still has a long way to go in terms of his adaptation, but he has been promising as an attacking outlet in his few appearances.
Diomande started both against Rayo Vallecano and Elche, but there is a strong case to drop him for the Madrid derby and play Arda Guler instead.
The Turkish international was on the bench against Rayo Vallecano and played as a No. 10 against Elche, with Jude Bellingham rested. Now, with the Englishman set to return, the manager has a decision to make.
Mourinho has made it clear that he wishes to ease Diomande into Real Madrid’s dynamics to reduce the pressure on his shoulders. Fielding him from the start in a derby would contradict that idea.
Beyond that, however, Guler has shown far more utility and promise as an attacking and creative outlet than Diomande, making the right-wing decision quite clear for the manager.
Real Madrid with and without Guler have been two completely different stories this season, and the team will require every last bit of creative inspiration that he has in him to get past Atletico Madrid tomorrow afternoon.
There is also a case for Brahim Diaz to be brought in, and the Moroccan star is also probably ahead of Diomande on the pecking order. Guler, however, stands out as a top option even ahead of Brahim.
Eyes on Vinicius Jr.
For years, Vinicius Jr. has always utilised the big stages to make his statements, for he has been a player to speak through performances and not words.
For instance, he scored a stunning solo goal last season against Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup at a time when he was least expected to do so. At that point, he had not scored in 16 straight games, but the big moment called out to him.
It is clear that the Brazilian is not going through his best moment right now once again. The past few weeks have been hard on him, especially after he did well at the World Cup and returned to Madrid with higher expectations on him.
So far this season, Vinicius has only scored one goal in seven games. Beyond the goals, however, he has not looked like his usual threatening self on the flank and has not created half as many chances as he usually would.
Such is the player’s situation that his place in the team is being called into doubt for the first time in years. After all, Yan Diomande can play on the left and showed glimpses of his ability in the previous game.
All eyes, thus, will be on Vinicius on Sunday to see if he can step up to the occasion and make his presence felt when it really matters. He has always been one for the big stage, and tomorrow’s stage is the biggest yet this season.
