Real Madrid could only draw the match against Real Betis at the Benito Villamarin, and will now be hoping that Girona would not be able to take the full points in their match against Barcelona to retain their position at the top of the table.
The Merengues started off the game well and were in control of the game for much of the first half. However, they were unable to break down the Betis defense and saw one of their goals ruled out for offside.
Real Betis also had their moments in the first half, the most notable one being Ayoze Perez’s effort that was saved by Andriy Lunin.
It was only in the second half that Real Madrid opened their scoring account. Jude Bellingham once again scored, after an exquisite ball over the Betis defense from Brahim Diaz. However, Aiot Ruibal’s thunderous striker levelled things for Betis.
How the different players for Real Madrid fared in this match is mentioned in the player ratings given below:
Andriy Lunin: 7.0
Made several good saves throughout the match, most notably against Willian Jose, Isco, and Ayoze Perez. Tried his best to get a touch on Ruibal’s shot, but it was too powerful and far from him to keep it out. Another good performance from the Ukrainian.
Lucas Vazquez: 5.5
The team clearly missed Dani Carvajal as Vazquez was unable to win many duels in his defensive half, while also not being able to contribute to the required quality at the attacking end.
Antonio Rudiger: 7.0
Rudiger once again did his job in the defense as he kept a difficult Willian Jose from becoming too much of a threat on Madrid goal. Also kept Isco and Abde in check to a good extent with his strength and experience.
David Alaba: 6.0
A mixed performance from the Austrian as he was neat in possession and good with his passing but was unable to put out gaps in the defense at times. One of these defensive mistakes led to Ruibal’s goal.
Ferland Mendy: 6.5
Had a good outing defensively, as Ayoze Perez struggled to get the better of him. Still leaves a lot to be desired on the attacking end.
Toni Kroos: 6.0
There was nothing wrong with his passing game, as he continues to play at a high level, but was visibly tired in the latter parts of the game.
Fede Valverde: 6.0
Covered a lot of ground playing as a box-to-box midfielder, but there were no particular highlights in this game.
Luka Modric: 6.5
The 38-year-old returned to the starting lineup after his injury, but was unable to put his stamp in this match. Showed his tricks and skills, but it was clear that age is at last catching up with the Croatian as the game went on.
Jude Bellingham: 8.5
Was once again arguably the most decisive player on the pitch, as he scored the goal to give Madrid the lead in the second half. Gelled well with the team to try to create attacking plays throughout the match and made three key passes.
Brahim Diaz: 7.5
The Spaniard continues to impress in the time he is getting on the pitch. Gave a sumptuous assist to Bellingham to give Madrid a temporary lead, and could have had his own name on the scoresheet but his goal was ruled out for offside in the first half.
Rodrygo Goes: 8.0
A highly impressive dribbling performance from the young Brazilian as he completed 10 of his 15 attempted dribbles. Could have won a penalty for Real Madrid in the first half, but the referee did not blow his whistle.
