Carlo Ancelotti decided to rotate ahead of the first La Liga game of the season. Five players from the UEFA Super Cup win were rested: Militao, Alaba, Casemiro, Modric and Carvajal. They were replaced by debuts for Tchouameni and Rüdiger and minutes for Camavinga, Nacho and Lucas Vazquez.
It was a difficult game in southern Spain as Almeria took an early lead thanks to a Ramazadin goal. Some tactical adjustments and personnel changes by Ancelotti led to a turnaround in the second half. Goals from Lucas Vazquez and a centimeter free-kick from David Alaba secured Madrid’s result.
Full match player ratings below:
Thibaut Courtois—7.5: Despite their limited counterattacks, Almeria still managed 10 shots, with half of those shots testing Courtois.
Lucas Vázquez—8.5: Won all of his tackles on the ground, contributed 2 key passes, made countless runs on the weak side of the game, scored an unrecognized goal and scored the equalizer. It was a heroic performance by Lucas Vazquez.
Antonio Ruediger—6.5: Struggled with threats from Sadiq and Ramazani in the first 20-30 minutes of the game, resulting in a miscommunication with Nacho on the opening goal. Gradually he grew into the game, passing all of Almeria’s forwards and playing a nice long ball which Karim Benzema was able to hold on to but failed to score.
Nacho—7: Like Rüdiger, he struggled early on, but gradually found his way into the game. The two centre-backs could have done better on goal – either promoted together or relegated together. Those kinks resolved themselves and both improved. Despite the physical disproportion, Nacho Umar handled Sadiq with ease and came on very aggressively to fend off the lanky Nigerian.
Ferland Mendy—4: Was bad against Frankfurt on Wednesday and didn’t have a good game tonight. In the last third, when Vinicius was desperate for a partner on the left, he offered very little.
Tchouameni—6: A lukewarm debut but with positive moments to build on. Those moments included: a through ball from off the boot to Benzema, a lofted transition pass to Vinicius on the break and a good high pressure to force a Girona turnover. The chemistry with his team-mates is still missing and there were often large gaps between Tchouameni and the Real Madrid defence.
Eduardo Camavinga—5: A frustrating performance for the young Frenchman considering how well he played last season. Couldn’t find a rhythm and was carded before the end of the half. Substituted for Luka Modric at half-time.
Toni Kroos—7.5: Three key passes, one illegal assist, game high of 115 touches and 81 passes with a 97% success rate. The German started the season at a very high level.
Fede Valverde – 7.5: Played with an urgency that the rest of the team lacked in the first half. He managed two impressive ball-carrying sequences in the first 45 to try and create a scoring opportunity. Finished the game with 4 key passes and 4 shots but probably should have scored at least one goal.
Vinicius Junior—8.5: Once again the difference maker. Girona tried to double Vinicius and his compatriot Kaiky defended well for much of the game but Vinicius never wears down and never stops trying. The Brazilian had the ability to break through a resilient back five and add to the effort with a shot that was saved to Lucas Vazquez’s opening goal.
Karim Benzema—6.5: A quiet night for KB9 still consists of 3 shots, 4 key passes and 1 big chance. Unfortunately for the Frenchman, he was denied some big chances thanks to a low pass from Vinicius and a ball from Toni Rüdiger over the top of the defence.
Substitutions:
Lukas Modric—7: Came on for Eduardo Camavinga at half-time. Its rollout gave the team much-needed control and flexibility.
David Alaba—8: Just seconds after entering the field, he scored the winning goal. A direct free-kick just outside the penalty area was the perfect opportunity to initiate Alaba and score a world-class goal. Finished the game at left-back and his 15 minutes down the left flank were far more impactful from an offensive perspective than teammate Ferland Mendy.
Eden Hazard – 7: Played as number 10 alongside a midfield of Kroos, Modric and Valverde. Combined well between the lines and had a number of skillful and skillful touches.
Dani Ceballos – N/A: Late introduction in the 83rd minute.
Casemiro – N/A: Late introduction in the 83rd minute.