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Vinicius Jr. provided a crucial moment of quality in an otherwise lacking Real Madrid performance as Los Blancos secured a tepid 2-0 win over Villareal.
Carlo Ancelotti’s men never really asserted themselves on the game, but were opportunistic when it counted, Federico Valverde and Vinicius making the difference to keep the pressure on Barcelona atop La Liga.
After a slow start, Los Blancos took the lead. Valverde provided the moment of magic, his 30-yard effort taking a somewhat fortunate deflection before spinning into the bottom corner.
There were one of two other moments in the first half. Vinicius Jr slipped Mbappe through on goal, but the Frenchman couldn’t convert. The Brazilian finally added some breathing room in the second half, lashing the ball into the top right corner from 25 yards with 20 minutes remaining.
Madrid coasted their way through the fixture after, comfortable to rotate and sit in – while Villarreal failed to offer much. There were some concerns, though. Dani Carvajal was removed in second half stoppage time with what appeared to be a serious knee injury, while Vinicius was grasping his shoulder when subbed.
Once again, this wasn’t a pretty performance. But it’s the three points, and flashes of individual quality, that really count.
GOAL rates Real Madrid’s players from the Santiago Bernabeu…
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AFPGoalkeeper & Defence
Andriy Lunin (6/10):
Claimed a couple of crosses. Barely had a save to make.
Dani Carvajal (6/10):
Scampered up and down the wing with regularity, but his connection with Mbappe wasn’t always entirely smooth. Went off in real pain in second half stoppage time.
Aurelien Tchouameni (6/10):
Very fortunate not to give away a penalty when Thierno Barry was adjudged to be offside in the buildup.
Antonio Rudiger (7/10):
Probably should have scored in the first half. Made a couple of key interventions in the second. Handled Barry well.
Ferland Mendy (6/10):
Didn’t have loads to do, and fulfilled his protective role for Vinicius effectively.
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Getty Images SportMidfield
Eduardo Camavinga (6/10):
Enjoyed 70 agreeable minutes as he works his way back to full fitness. Much better than his stinker in midweek.
Federico Valverde (8/10):
Scored the opener, and seemed to enjoy it quite a lot – even if there was a massive deflection involved. Assisted another, and was more expansive in his passing. A proper performance, with Toni Kroos watching in the stands.
Luka Modric (7/10):
Never stopped moving, created three chances, and was involved in both goals.
Jude Bellingham (7/10):
Did lots of pretty things without being entirely effective in the final third. Still figuring out how to make things work with Mbappe, in particular.
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Getty Images SportAttack
Kylian Mbappe (5/10):
Interesting to see him used on the right. He didn’t really make it work, and never really had a clear look on goal. Still figuring it out.
Vinicius Jr (8/10):
Impressed in moments at first, and then bashed one in from long range to seal three points. Removed with a knock to his shoulder with 10 minutes to play.
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Getty Images SportSubs & Manager
Eder Militao (6/10):
A solid shift at centre back.
Rodrygo (N/A):
Immediately stuck out on the left. Never really got involved.
Arda Guler (N/A):
No time to make an impact.
Lucas Vazquez (N/A):
No time to make an impact.
Carlo Ancelotti (X/10):
Changed things up, with Mbappe playing as a right sided forward. Wasn’t always the smoothest setup, and his team didn’t create loads – but two wonderful goals carried them through. Evening was dampened by a knock to Vinicius and potentially serious injury to Carvajal.
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