New Champions League, same old Real Madrid as they kick start their title defence with a hard-fought win over Stuttgart.
A fantastic outing for the Belgian shot-stopper Thibaut Courtois and second-half goals from Kylian Mbappe, Rüdiger and Endrick helped the men in white secure the victory
The following ratings reflect how the Real Madrid players fared in this match.
Player ratings:
Thibaut Courtois: 8.5
Rightfully received the Man of the Match award. Proved why he is the best in the world. Unlucky not to have kept a clean-sheet but overall, it was a performance to remember.
Lucas Vazquez: 5.5
Poor game for the Spaniard. Received an unexpected start and was unable to make the most of it. He was exposed multiple times on the right flank while he was on the pitch, was able to win just one duel, and was correctly taken off at the beginning of the second half.
Dani Carvajal: 7.0
The centre-back position was an unnatural one for him and it took him a while to get used to it. Struggled a bit but was up to the mark once he was shifted to his natural position.
Antonio Rüdiger: 7.5
Perhaps the German knows that his first half performance was below his standards. Tried to win a penalty, which was rightly denied. Scored a perfectly-timed header from a Luka Modric corner.
Ferland Mendy: 6.0
An average performance from the Frenchman. His marker surpassed him with ease at times and for the first time in a long time, he looked vulnerable. He was marking Undav but was unable to prevent him from scoring the equaliser.
Fede Valverde: 7.0
A quiet night from the Uruguayan after a string of great performances. Played up the pitch for some time before shifting to the number 6 position, where he was much better. Continued to be a workhorse and his energy never dropped.
Aurelien Tchouaméni: 7.0
Almost assisted Stuttgart in the opening two minutes and, like most Madrid players, had a poor first half. Had a crack at goal too and was not far away from scoring. Caught out defensively a couple of times but won his duels and put on a much better display in the second half before being substituted in the 70th minute.
Jude Bellingham: 7.5
Easily the pick of the midfielders on the night. Looked very comfortable with the ball at his feet. Played two key passes, won five duels and made a couple of tackles as well. A commendable job from the Englishman to put up such a performance just after returning from injury.
Rodrygo: 7.5
A much improved performance from the last game. Had a few opportunities to be on the scoresheet as well and his hard work on the pitch was rewarded after he set up Mbappe for an easy goal and recorded an assist. Decision making in the final third could have been better.
Kylian Mbappe: 7.5
Scored a goal on his CL debut for Madrid, recording his 5th goal for the club in the process. Made life difficult for the opposition’s left-back at times. It’s just a matter of time before the Frenchman fully starts firing.
Vinícius Júnior: 6.5
Two quiet nights in a row for the Brazilian. Made some great runs and was a menace on the left at times. But had just one shot at goal throughout the match which hit the cross bar.
Substitutes:
Eder Militao: 6.0
Below average display when he was brought on for Vazquez. Won a few tackles and made some clearances but was off colour.
Luka Modric: 7.0
Upped the tempo of the game and had a good 20-minute stint. Provided an assist for the second goal and showed that he has still got it.
Arda Güler: 6.0
Had just 12 touches during his 15 minutes on the pitch. Still looked good on the ball whenever he had it and the Turk was in dangerous scoring positions on a couple of occasions but was overlooked.
Fran García: 6.0
Provided an extra attacking threat on the left and had a lively cameo. Deserves a start in the next match.
Endrick: 7.5
The youngster has scored twice in 38 minutes so far as a Madrid player. Possesses insane shot power for an 18-year-old and things will keep getting better and better for him. Became the youngest Real Madrid player to score in the CL, breaking the record previously held by Raúl.
