Real Madrid got back to winning ways in La Liga on Saturday afternoon after losing their previous two games in all competitions, with a 2-1 win over Malaga at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Captain Sergio Ramos scored twice in the final 10 minutes of the first period, both having been set up by two Toni Kroos set pieces. With the two goals, Ramos now has six goals this term, his best ever return in a league season. Juanpi grabbed a goal back for Malaga in the second half to set up an interesting finish to the match, but the Los Blancos held on despite Cristiano Ronaldo squandering a few opportunities to put the result beyond doubt.
The win sees Madrid extend their lead to four points over second-placed Sevilla in the Liga standings. In what was a good outing for Zinedine Zidane’s team, let’s assess how each player performed on the day:
Keylor Navas – 6
Was called upon quite a few times and he made sure he kept Malaga at bay with some important saves on the day.
Nacho – 6
Playing on the right-side of the back four for Madrid, Nacho was always willing to get forward and help out in attack. Sent in some decent crosses into the penalty box.
Raphael Varane – 7
Strong and reliable at the heart of the defence for the home team. Kept Penaranda at bay with ease throughout the game and came up trumps in the aerial battles.
Sergio Ramos – 8
Two well-taken goals in the first half for the Los Merengues as the captain led from the front on the day, after a disappointing match against Sevilla last weekend.
Marcelo – 6
Played for only 25 minutes as he was taken off early due to a muscle injury. Kept Juanpi in check during his limited time on the field.
Luka Modric – 7
As usual, an energetic presence in the midfield. Looked to make things happen in the middle of the park and tried to get Madrid moving forward quickly aiding the transition from defence to attack.
Casemiro – 7
Solid and efficient display by the Brazilian. Did his job well and broke up numerous Malaga attacks in the midfield and then helped Madrid hit them on the break.
Toni Kroos – 7
A calm presence in the midfield. Grabbed two assists from the match, setting up both goals for Ramos with two delightful set-pieces.
Lucas Vazquez – 6
An exciting display from the winger in the first period as he peppered the Malaga defence with some excellent balls from the right-flank. However, dropped deeper and deeper as the game progressed with Madrid looking to protect their lead.
Cristiano Ronaldo – 5
Wasteful. The Ballon d’Or and FIFA Player of the Year award winner struggled to get things right in the final third and spurned several chances to get his name on the scoresheet. Hit the post on one occasion, but other than that lacked the finish.
Karim Benzema – 6
Got into good positions but could not capitalize as he snatched at his efforts on goal. Slightly subdued outing for the Frenchman.
Substitutes
Isco – 6
Came on for the injured Marcelo in the 25th minute and slotted in behind the striker. However, struggled to make the desired impact and could not create anything of note.
Mateo Kovacic – 6
Replaced Modric in the 78th minute as Zidane looked to add some fresh legs in the midfield.
Alvaro Morata – NA
Came on for Benzema with less than 10 minutes left on the clock. Not enough time to make any impact.