Real Madrid secured a much-needed Champions League victory on Tuesday night, overcoming Inter 3-2.
An error-ridden start to the contest saw chances arrive at both ends before the hosts were gifted the lead by former star Achraf Hakimi, as Karim Benzema latched onto the Moroccan’s woeful back-pass before coolly finishing.
Inter’s woes were doubled through an archetypal Sergio Ramos finish, but a majestic Nicolo Barella and Lautaro Martinez combination swiftly halved the deficit.
Ivan Perisic deservedly levelled for the visitors midway through the second period, before substitutes Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo combined to hand Real a 3-2 lead and, eventually, all three points.
Let’s get into some player ratings.
Thibaut Courtois (GK) – 6/10 – Saved well to deny Lautaro early but could do little to stop El Toro from getting on the scoresheet later on in the opening period. Swept up nicely but was somewhat exposed in possession.
Lucas Vazquez (RB) – 6/10 – Aggressive with his positioning and seems to have established a good understanding with Marco Asensio.
Raphael Varane (CB) – 7/10 – Looked back to his best tonight, with his confidence seemingly restored after some shaky performances of late.
Sergio Ramos (CB) – 8/10 – Brought up his 100th Real Madrid goal with a wonderful header. Defensively moved around by the crafty Lautaro, who proved a tricky assignment for the Spaniard. Covered wide areas well and produced some superb bits of defending in his own box.
Ferland Mendy (LB) – 7/10 – Some battle, this. With a pair of Apollo 11’s flying down Real’s left, it was Mendy who came out on top. Attacking influence was minimal but he proved mightily diligent in his defensive work. Tracked Hakimi admirably throughout, with impressive athleticism laid bare.
Casemiro (DM) – 6/10 – A real mixed night for the Brazilian, who produced moments of brilliance out of possession but proved distinctly errant on the ball.
Federico Valverde (CM) – 8/10 – Yet another impressive big-game display from the young Uruguayan. He looked to disrupt Inter in the first phase by pressing high and also proved effective at cutting out passing lanes in central areas. Booked after the break for a challenge on Barella.
Toni Kroos (CM) – 6/10 – There were examples of his simply gorgeous passing technique from the German, but his influence wasn’t huge overall.
Marco Asensio (RW) – 5/10 – Looked bright early as he looked to have established a dangerous dynamic with the advancing Vazquez. Influence waned massively before his substitution just after the hour.
Karim Benzema (ST) – 7/10 – Deft headed touch should’ve set up Valverde for the opener before he grabbed it himself; picking off a woeful Hakimi back-pass before rounding Handanovic and finishing. Wasn’t heavily involved but produced some superb examples of false-nine play.
Eden Hazard (LW) – 5/10 – Often took up positions deep in the left half-space as he sought to pick the ball up between the lines before driving at the Inter defence. Minimal impact overall, though.
Vinicius Junior – 7/10 – Cross from the left was perfect for Rodrygo to finish. Made a difference.
Rodrygo – 8/10 – Fantastic strike handed Real a much-needed victory. What more do you want?
Luka Modric – 7/10 – Produced real moments of class late on.
Samir Handanovic (GK) – 6/10 – Performed very well in possession tonight, as he so often does. Beaten by Benzema for the first but could do nothing to deny Ramos and Rodrygo.
Danilo D’Ambrosio (CB) – 6/10 – A quiet night for the Italian in all honesty. Wasn’t actively rotating down the right like he often does and was rarely tested defensively.
Stefan de Vrij (CB) – 7/10 – Lost track of Ramos for the Spaniard’s goal but was nonetheless impressive once more. Key in Inter’s impressive build-up play.
Alessandro Bastoni (CB) – 8/10 – God, this kid is a star. So composed in the first phase and was able to deliver punched line-breaking passes at a canter. Controlled aggression on display in his defensive work.
Achraf Hakimi (RWB) – 5/10 – Momentarily forgot he’d left Real in the summer as his under-hit back-pass directly led to Benzema’s opener. Proved an outlet for the visitors but was uncharacteristically inefficient in the final third.
Arturo Vidal (CM) – 6/10 – Combative and borderline crazy. Vidal was absolutely everywhere on Wednesday night…which wasn’t necessarily a good thing. The Chilean committed a frustrating number of fouls – earning a booking before the break – and was sloppy on occasion in possession.
Marcelo Brozovic (CM) – 7/10 – Showed off composure, bravery and press resistance tonight as he constantly looked to receive in the face of heavy Real pressure. Looked back at his all-encompassing best tonight.
Nicolo Barella (AM) – 8/10 – Flick to set up Lautaro was simply ingenious. Incredible. Contributed in all phases and was superb between the lines.
Ashley Young (LWB) – 8/10 – A fine outing for the Englishman. Stout one-v-one and was positionally immaculate throughout. Bright and dynamic with the ball.
Lautaro Martinez (ST) – 9/10 – His first goal in the Champions League this term was a good one, latching onto Barella’s genius with a first-time half-volley. Smart header also set up Perisic for the equaliser. Really stepped up in the absence of Romelu Lukaku.
Ivan Perisic (ST) – 7/10 – Struggled in this role against Parma but had a little more success tonight. Worked well with El Toro up top and combined with his strike partner to equalise with a tidy left-footed finish. Work out of possession can’t be overlooked either.
Alexis Sanchez – 5/10 – Free-kick hit straight into the wall was incredibly frustrating.
Roberto Gagliardini – N/A
Radja Nainggolan – N/A