Real Madrid 3-1 Liverpool: Player Ratings as Vinicius Jr's brace downs the Reds | UEFA Champions League 2020-21
Real Madrid beat Liverpool 3-1 in the first leg of their 2020-21 UEFA Champions League quarter-final.
Vinicius Jr. opened the scoring for the hosts after bringing down a sublime long ball from Toni Kroos to beat Alisson Becker. Buoyed by their opener, Los Blancos sought to build on their dominance in the game.
Real Madrid doubled their advantage on the night when Marco Asensio capitalised on a mistake from Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Mohamed Salah pulled one back for Liverpool soon after the restart. But Real Madrid soon reasserted their ascendancy on the night when Vinicius Jr completed his brace after some deft work from Luka Modric.
On that note, let's have a look at the player ratings in the game.
Real Madrid Payer Ratings
Thibaut Courtois - 7/10
Thibaut Courtois had a relatively comfortable outing for Real Madrid. Although he was unfortunate to concede a goal early on in the second half, there was nothing he could have done to deny Mohamed Salah.
Lucas Vazquez - 8/10
Lucas Vazquez put in a solid display at the back for Real Madrid. He was astute both offensively as well as defensively. The Spanish international won eight duels, made four clearances, won two tackles and made eight recoveries for his side last night.
Eder Militao - 8/10
Eder Militao got a rare chance to start, as he had to fill in for Raphael Varane who tested positive for COVID-19. The Brazilian did not disappoint as he was confident on the ball and was virtually unbeatable.
Nacho Fernandez - 7.5/10
Nacho Fernandez had a great game, too, filling in for Sergio Ramos. He linked up well with Militao at the back. The duo ensured they foiled Liverpool attacks down the centre.
Ferland Mendy - 8/10
Ferland Mendy had a great outing against Liverpool. The Frenchman did well to keep Salah in check for most of the game. Mendy did well to track down the Egyptian on numerous occasions and also combined well with Vinicius Jr. high up the pitch.
Luka Modric - 8.5/10
Luka Modric put in another worldly performance for the Whites. Along with Toni Kroos, the duo orchestrated play for Real. Modric. Modric also set up Vinicius Jr. for his second of the night.
Casemiro - 8/10
Casemiro put in a massive shift in the centre of the park. The Brazilian won 11 duels, made nine recoveries and won four tackles on the night. But Casemiro struggled with the ball at his feet, looking clumsy in possession and made some poor passes.
Toni Kroos - 9/10
Toni Kroos oozed class against Liverpool. The German international was involved in two Real Madrid goals. Kroos completed the most passes in the game (68) and created the most chances (5) on the night.
Marco Asensio - 8.5/10
Marco Asensio is getting back to his best. The Spaniard tracked back on numerous occasions to help Vazquez deal with Sadio Mane. He also kept the Liverpool defenders on their toes throughout. Asensio scored a beautiful goal after deceiving Alisson Becker.
Karim Benzema - 8/10
Karim Benzema may not have scored a goal on the night but put in a massive shift for Real Madrid. The Frenchman was involved in the hosts' game-play as he tracked back to create chances for Vinicius Jr. and Asensio.
Vinicius Jr - 9.5/10
Vinicius Jr had one of his best nights as a Real Madrid player. The Brazilian had the visitors gasping for breath, making life miserable for them with his electrifying pace and mazy runs. Besides scoring a brace, Vinicius Jr. won six duels, completed two dribbles, won two tackles and made three recoveries against Liverpool.
Ratings of Real Madrid substitutes against Liverpool:
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Federico Valverde - 7/10
Federico Valverde came on for Asensio in the 70th minute of the game. The Uruguayan did well defensively to foil any chance of Liverpool's comeback.
Rodrygo - N/A
Rodrygo came on too late against Liverpool to merit a rating.