Player Ratings: Real Madrid 2 - Alaves 0; 2020 La Liga

Thanks to the help of some referee decision-making, Real Madrid have eight wins from eight games after a 2-0 win over Alaves, restoring their four point lead over Barcelona. It was a changed line up tonight but still a convincing win.

See player ratings below.

Thibaut Courtois—8: Another clean sheet for the Belgian. Wasn’t extremely busy throughout the game but that’s not to say Alaves didn’t test him. They had 10 shots and four on target, all of which Courtois dealt with. Got the job done and filled in defensive gaps.

Lucas Vazquez —6.5: With Dani Carvajal out and no replacement right-back, Vazquez came in. He’s been here before and did well considering it’s not his preferred position. Often moved up top to try and have an impact on the attack but nothing too convincing.

Raphael Varane—7: Another defender coming back from an injury. Had the responsibility of leading a new-look defence and did okay. Biggest moment was an early goal line clearance. Finished the game wearing the captain’s armband.

Eder Militão—7: Stepped in for Sergio Ramos. Started off strong but was sometimes out of position forcing midfielders to track back and cover space. Had a few slip ups but won two aerial duels and one tackle.

Ferland Mendy—7.5: The most influential defender on the team. Caused all sorts of problems on the left for Alaves and linked up with Rodrygo. Drew the penalty for Madrid’s first goal and didn’t stop threatening afterwards.

Casemiro—7: A usual performance from the Brazilian who operated in the midfield and helped in defence. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Luka Modric—8: Since returning from the break Modric has played with an added spark and his youth shining through. One of the more up-beat midfielders in the match and helped out a lot in defence. Three shots and four dribbles.

Toni Kroos—7.5: Standard game for the German. Somewhat quiet but was still an important role in the middle of the pack. Had 96 per cent pass completion rate, three shots, two dribbles and two tackles.

Marco Asensio—7: Was very quiet in the first half, couldn’t get any movement on the right wing. His first attempt on target was blocked but then timed a run and linked up with Benzema to score the second goal. Nice to see him playing for a longer amount of time.

Rodrygo—8: One of the best performances from the 19 year old. One of the most threatening players of the game. Often double teamed by Alaves and suffered physically. Responsible for the build-up of the second goal and finished with six dribbles and two shots, unfortunate not to score.

Karim Benzema—8: Lead the team to claim the three points. Stepped up for the penalty and easily converted. Very versatile tonight staying up front and then dropping deep when needed. Set up the second goal for Asensio. Had an injury scare but pushed through.

Substitutions:

Fede Valverde—7: Came in with 30 minutes left. Did well to keep possession of the ball but not much else. Seems to play better when he’s a starter.

Vinicius Junior—6: Substituted at the same time as Valverde but did little to impact the game, only seven touches. Still eager though making runs towards goal but caught offside.

Isco—6.5: Played just over 10 minutes which isn’t a lot of time to make a difference but still tried to be as active as possible. Twenty-three touches, 15 passes, two shots and two dribbles.

Eden Hazard—6: Came on at the same time as Isco. Nice to see him back but only had 10 touches.

Brahim Diaz—N/A: Not enough time on the pitch.