After an emphatic victory over arch-rivals FC Barcelona, Real Madrid took on Real Sociedad at the Reale Arena and scraped past their opponents with a narrow 0-1 win.
Crucial players such as Jude Bellingham, Antonio Rüdiger, Fede Valverde, and VinÃcius started the game from the bench, which resulted in Arda Güler making his first start for the club.
It was a tough game but the second-string side kept a cleansheet which is not an easy task at the Reale Arena.
Here is how the Real Madrid players fared in the 0-1 win against Real Sociedad.
Player Ratings:
Kepa Arrizabalaga: 7.5
The Spaniard who is now down the pecking order due to Lunin’s emergence, made some crucial saves including one shot which was taken from the edge of the box, and kept his 7th cleansheet in the league.
Dani Carvajal: 7.0
Returned to the XI after not taking part in the El Clasico. Made some rookie mistakes, which are not expected of him. But was good defensively and dished out an assist for Güler’s goal. Could have put on a better display.
Éder Militão: 7.0
The Brazilian returned to the XI for the first time since his ACL injury in August. Held his ground nicely against a potent Sociedad attack. Did not make any mistakes with the ball at his feet and won 5 duels. He would be hoping that he made a case for himself to start at the Allianz Arena in the 1st leg.
Nacho: 7.0
A strong performance from the captain of Real Madrid. Proved to be the leader in defense and helped Fran GarcÃa on the left. No sloppy passes whatsoever.
Fran GarcÃa: 6.5
An improved performance from the Spaniard after being criticized for his defensive capabilities. Did not put a foot wrong when handling the pace of Takefusa Kubo and made some overlapping runs as well.
Aurélien Tchouaméni: 7.5
Another day and another victory for Real Madrid when this Frenchman starts. Another rock solid display and made some eye catching line breaking passes. Made some tackles that could have been avoided, but overall – a good day at the office.
Luka Modrić: 7.5
It does not seem like the midfield maestro is playing his last season. Glided past the relentless pressing of Sociedad and made things happen when the ball was at his feet. His purple patch continues.
Dani Ceballos: 5.5
A poor display from the Spaniard. Lost possession in dangerous areas, with the few moments he had with the ball at his feet, he was unable to make any impact. Surely not a performance expected from a player of his caliber but would hope to end the season on a high.
Arda Güler: 8.0
The Turkish winger showed that he does not require any game time to show his class in what was his first start for the Merengues. The yellow card was the only negative of the night otherwise, an unforgettable night for the youngster.
Brahim DÃaz: 6.0
Not the best performance by the Moroccan national. Made a few pacy runs to give Madrid’s attack a boost but other than that, nothing notable.
Joselu: 6.0
A below-average performance from the veteran striker. Won a few duels but did not manage a single shot at goal and had just one touch inside the box. He must have avoided looking at his own stats for this match after the final whistle blew.
Substitutes:
VinÃcius Júnior: 6.5
Came off the bench in the 68th minute. Was not far away from extending the team’s lead.
Fede Valverde: 6.0
Was involved in yet another game. Won a duel and made a clearance. It felt like he should have rested for this game entirely.
Antonio Rüdiger: 6.0
The German blocked a shot and made a clearance in his 14-minute cameo. Played a role in seeing out the victory late in the game.
Eduardo Camavinga: 6.0
Almost put the game to bed but his shot was saved by Alex Remiro from close range.
Lucas Vasquez: N/A
Not enough time to warrant a rating.
