By The Cry Of Faith
31st October, 2021

Vinicius Junior tops Player Rating in their clash with Elche away from home.

Real Madrid did not make it look easy again, but they got the job done against a very underrated Elche side that played some beautiful football in front of their home fans. Los Blancos held on, only conceding from another sloppy Casemiro pass, as David Alaba and Eder Militao put on masterclasses in defense.

Their elite work at center back, a continuation from what we have seen from them this season, was matched in the attack by none other than Vinicius Junior. The Brazilian scored a brace on just two real chances, stepping up big-time with Karim Benzema rested.

GK Thibaut Courtois

Thibaut Courtois made one huge save. As always, he is a player Real Madrid can rely on in goal. Rating: 6.5

LB Marcelo

Marcelo had his bright moments offensively (though, in all honesty, not enough) and recovered some balls in the attacking third, but his actual defending continues to leave Madridistas nervous. He is nowhere near the action when the opposition counters. Marcelo is too slow to recover and sometimes unwilling to even mark a player in the box. He did not have a terrible day, but if Elche were more clinical, perhaps we’d be singing a different tune. I’d also like to highlight the fact that he completed fewer than 75 percent of his passes, which is an even bigger problem for a player who does not help defensively. Rating: 5.0

CB David Alaba

David Alaba was masterful with his positioning and did a lot to make up for the poor tracking-back from his teammate at left back. A former left back himself, Alaba did join the attack a couple of times, attempting one skill move to try and set up a Vinicius hat trick. Alaba, as usual, made a few crucial blocks, stopping two crosses that could have easily led to goals. There is no doubt that he has become a leader for this team. In total, he finished with seven clearances, two blocked shots, and 94.2 percent of his passes completed, per WhoScored. Rating: 8.5

CB Eder Militao

Whereas David Alaba was the center back who covered and got in the way of shots as a last line of defense, Eder Militao was the one stepping up and making key interventions and recoveries to start counterattacks. The Brazilian had four tackles, two interceptions, and a blocked shot of his own. Like Alaba, he also completed over 94 percent of his passes. Militao has been on a tear in the month of October, and he deserves all the praise in the world. We have seen how close he is to becoming world-class, and he will earn that distinction with more performances like this one. Rating: 9.5

RB Lucas Vazquez

Aside from one nice cross to Marco Asensio, Lucas Vazquez did not do much that was overly impressive for Real Madrid against Elche. But more importantly, he didn’t make any major missteps defensively, even against a tough assignment with Johan Mojica and Fidel on his flank. So for that reason, it was another positive day at the office for the makeshift fullback. Rating: 6.5

CM Toni Kroos

Toni Kroos’ performance was quieter as compared to the ones produced by the center backs and Vinicius, but he had another big game, just like against Osasuna. The German international came close to scoring a few times. In total, he completed 96.7 percent of his 90 pass attempts, including three key passes. And he was accurate on 10 of 13 long balls, with a couple of the inaccurate ones being the fault of the receivers. Kroos is underrated because of his own consistency. Rating: 7.5

DM Casemiro

Casemiro really should have done better on the pass that led to Elche’s goal, but he did make up for it with a perfect last-ditch slide tackle that led to a bloody face. It was the last action of the match, and it was one for the highlight reels. As a whole, Casemiro’s performance was a mixed bag. He made some silly passes and decisions in the attack, but he was accurate on 9 of 10 long balls. Further, he had four tackles and a team-high four interceptions. Rating: 6.0

CM Luka Modric

Luka Modric put in a lot of hard work in this match, and he deserved an assist for Vini’s goal after setting up Mariano Diaz in the exact same situation in the first half. The Croatian icon finished the match with three key passes, as he was composed at retaining possession and finding the open man. Modric did well defensively, too. It wasn’t one of his best performances, but it was another quality display from the center midfielder. Rating: 7.0

LW Vinicius Junior

Real Madrid would not have won this match without Vinicius Junior. It’s amazing to think that Vini is now automatic in front of goal. With Karim Benzema out, Vinicius stepped up to the plate. His first goal was a cool left-footed finish. And his second was even better, as he calmly knocked the ball over Elche’s keeper and former Madrid player Kiko Casilla. He was a threat throughout the afternoon and elevated the team in a tough match. Real could have easily dropped points, but Vini would not let that happen. Rating: 9.0

ST Mariano Diaz

Mariano Diaz had an incredible backheel flick to assist Vinicius’ vital opener, and he did well to get around the keeper on the chance he missed. Madridistas were also impressed with his desire to get his head on the end of crosses. That said, he is very clearly not good enough for Real Madrid. Mariano makes bizarre decisions, such as the time he shot from beyond range instead of passing, ruining a good counterattacking opportunity. His touch is sometimes hilariously bad. That said, Mariano did not play poorly. He was at least a threat to Elche and created a goal. Rating: 6.0

Thanks for Reading. Enjoy Your Day.

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