SOCCER
Real Madrid player ratings against AC Milan
It may have ended with a defeat, but who passed and who failed for Real Madrid against Milan in the team’s first pre-season match.
Real Madrid concluded their first preseason friendly with a 1-0 defeat to AC Milan, in a match where the LaLiga team clearly lacked rhythm and several key players only featured for a small part of the game. New signing Endrick did, however, make his debut for team famous for its white jersey, although to be clear, at Soldier Field it was actually of the orange variety.
Courtois: The best player for Madrid in an otherwise lackluster first half. He made a crucial save against Chukwueze after a mistake by Mario Martín and then blocked another shot from a Milan attacker. He only played the first half.
Lucas Vázquez: The Galician performed well, with Milan’s threat not coming from his side. He frequently pushed forward into attack and posed a danger, although he couldn’t connect with any of the forwards. It’s evident he has been working hard since the first day of preseason, as his energy levels are high. In the second half, he continued to advance and combine with Nico Paz, albeit without creating significant chances.
Vallejo: He began the match by saving a good attempt from Milan but then failed to reach a pass that almost resulted in a goal. Decent minutes from the Aragonese defender. He played the first half.
Rüdiger: Despite limited training sessions, he looked sharp in his runs and strong in duels. He even ventured forward in attack. He will be ready for the European Super Cup. He played the first half.
Fran García: Offered little in attack from the left-back position, which diminished his overall impact. Additionally, he showed some lapses in defense and lacked toughness in duels. In the second half, he played more offensively but also made some errors that could have been costly. His crosses were missed when Madrid had two tall forwards like Álvaro Rodríguez and Latasa. He had a chance to equalize towards the end but cut inside, and his right-footed shot was poor.
Modric: The Croatian started well, showing his physical readiness, a testament to his work since July 15th. He organized the team well in midfield and displayed his excellent outside foot on several occasions. He stayed away from the goal, with no opportunities to shoot. He played the first half.
Mario Martín: He began the match with a terrible back pass that almost resulted in a goal for Chukwueze; fortunately, Courtois saved it. Afterward, he was intense, trying to do what he does best: press, recover, and make the midfield uncomfortable for the opponent. In the action leading to Chukwueze’s 1-0, he could have made a foul to stop the play, although it caught him by surprise with little time to react.
Ceballos: Interesting minutes from the Sevillian, with a lot of movement and adding depth to the game, though suffering from his usual flaw. He held onto the ball too long, slowing the game down, which a teammate pointed out at one moment. He continued in the second half, combining good actions, especially finding Lucas on the right, with some overly slow ones.
Güler: He didn’t score but had a very complete first half, improving every ball that came his way. His directed controls and through passes are something else. Additionally, he put in a lot of effort in pressing, dropping back to defend despite playing as a winger. He played the first half.
Endrick: The Brazilian’s first match for Madrid, without much luck. He didn’t take any shots but fought hard and, above all, made several dangerous passing attempts that narrowly missed their mark. He showed he’s not just a goal scorer. He set up a ball for Brahim that almost resulted in the opening goal. He played the first half.
Brahim: A bit subdued in dribbling, although he combined well near the box. He had Real Madrid’s most dangerous chance with a shot from the edge of the box that went just wide. Despite lacking precision in individual actions, he showed a lot of spark. However, he was involved in Milan’s 1-0 goal: he made a poor pass that led to Chukwueze’s goal.
Lunin: Came on in the second half. He performed poorly in Chukwueze’s 1-0 goal, as he could have come out earlier to close down the space but was too slow. He corrected this in a subsequent similar action.
Asencio: Entered in the second half. Struggled a lot with Chukwueze’s speed, which was a challenging task.
Joan Martínez: Came on in the second half. A bit calmer than Asencio, promising minutes for the 16-year-old talent. He stylishly cut out a very dangerous play by Saelemaekers in a difficult position and almost scored with a header from a corner, but the shot went high.
Palacios: Entered in the second half. Very unlucky, as he got injured shortly after coming on following a collision and had to be replaced by Álvaro Rodríguez. He lasted seven minutes on the field.
Nico Paz: Came on in the second half. Started as a winger but moved back to play as an interior midfielder after Palacios’ injury.
Jeremy de León: Came on in the 89th minute after Álvaro Rodríguez’s physical problems. A brief appearance.
Latasa: Came on in the second half. Had very little impact as the striker was quite isolated. He received a good ball early on but lacked the confidence to run with it and take on the defense.
Álvaro Rodríguez: Replaced Palacios in the 53rd minute. Had good moments, maintaining the flow of play with his physical presence. One of his good actions almost led to an equalizer by Fran García, who missed by a narrow margin. However, he got injured in that play and was replaced by Jeremy de León.