Real Madrid: player ratings against Real Sociedad
Ramos, Benzema and Vinicius were the stand out performers, while it was a game best forgetting for James as Real Madrid ran out 2-1 winners.
Courtois: Comfortable game for the Belgian, who had very little work to do. He could do nothing for Mikel Merino's goal and Sociedad hardly bothered him before and after that. (7)
Marcelo: The good news was that he did not suffer in defence against a team of Sociedad’s attacking potential. The bad news was his deliveries were lacking, which is unusual for him. He had very little presence in attack. (6)
Ramos: The captain is back to an exceptional physical level. Quick and focused, he did not give Isak any options, with the Real striker having to drift to the wing in search of opportunities. After scoring a penalty, he had to come off injured following a blow to the knee, which could be a major problem for Zidane. (8)
Varane: Like Ramos, he has got back to a good physical level and is enjoying one of the best moments of his career. The Frenchman had a great game alongside the captain. (8)
Carvajal: Solid at the back but ineffective in attack, like Marcelo. (7)
Casemiro: Picked up a yellow for an unnecessary elbow on Merino in the first half, meaning he misses the next game. He brought balance to Madrid as always, but suffered when bringing the ball out from the back due to the intense pressure imposed by Real. (6)
Kroos: Quiet in attack but a decent defensive display, where he supported Casemiro a lot in ball recovery. (6)
Valverde: Zidane improvised by playing him more as an attacking midfielder in the first half, although is it is not his natural position. He does more damage from a retreated position, with time and space to run. Nevertheless, the Uruguayan put in a tireless performance as usual. (8)
James: Slow and ineffective. Playing in a wide right position did not help him either. Very quiet game for the Colombian. (5)
Benzema: Still at his best. His goal gave Madrid peace of mind at 2-0. The Frenchman can score with ease and maintains his contribution to the collective game. (8)
Vinicius: Man of the match. He managed to break down the Sociedad defence in a game where Zidane couldn’t find the right formula to do damage in attack. He was the only Madrid player who could create danger in the first half. In the second half he won the penalty that Ramos converted to give Madrid the lead. (9)
Substitutions
Zidane made them late and most didn’t really have time to make an impact. Only Militao (30 minutes) had sufficient time; Mariano and Asensio came on with 12 minutes to go, while Modric and Mendy entered in injury time.