Real Madrid’s player ratings against Bayern Munich

Real Madrid got off to a poor start in the quarter-finals, losing at home to Bayern in a match in which they were clearly outplayed. Still, in the closing stages they managed to turn the game around somewhat and nearly found an equaliser.

Lunin: Bayern pressed him heavily in the first half, although they barely tested him. His best save before the break came when he stopped a Gnabry shot, clearing up a mess created by Thiago. He looked shaky in the air, and Bayern effectively blocked him on set pieces. He could do little about the first goal, as he was completely exposed against Luis Díaz. He might have done more about the second, though. Kane’s shot slipped under his hand after he misjudged it.

Trent: He delivered a couple of good crosses in the first half but could not find a finisher. He also tried his luck with shots after making runs from deep. He kept Luis Díaz under control for most of the match, although he lost him on the opening goal. On the ball, he took a few too many risks at times. Still, his technique is exquisite, and he used it to assist Mbappé for the second goal.

Rüdiger: Initially overwhelmed by Bayern’s numerical superiority, he settled as the game progressed. He struggled much more in the second half, with Bayern throwing everything forward, and he had plenty of trouble on the ball.

Huijsen: A good first half from the centre-back, who knows that Militão is now available and that his place could be under threat. He kept Kane under control and threaded several good passes to help Madrid build attacks with some clarity. After the break, he was outplayed like everyone else. He was substituted in the 62nd minute for Militão.

Carreras: A night to forget for the defender, who seemed clearly affected by the Mallorca match and was driven to distraction by Olise. To his credit, he did clear a shot off the line early on, although if Upamecano had connected properly there would have been nothing he could have done. He offered little in attack, though that was partly due to Madrid’s limited possession and reliance on counter-attacks. Defensively, however, he made mistakes that proved costly. For the 0-1, he played Luis Díaz onside by failing to hold the line. The 0-2 came after he lost possession in midfield following a poor piece of technique. He was booed, and his price tag is clearly a factor; the Bernabéu crowd already has him under scrutiny.

Valverde: He started well and was Madrid’s most reliable presence in midfield, providing an outlet with his movement. He played a fine pass to Mbappé that almost resulted in a goal, Madrid’s best chance before halftime. As the match went on, he faded along with the rest of the team. Late on, he spotted Trent’s run well, which led to the assist for the 1-2.

Thiago: A poor performance from the academy graduate. As always, he ran tirelessly, but he was very inaccurate on the ball. At one point he became overconfident as the last man and nearly conceded a goal to Gnabry, only for Lunin to prevent it. He tends to make one of these mistakes every match, and they need to be addressed quickly because they can be costly. He was substituted in the 62nd minute for Bellingham.

Tchouameni: He was largely absent from the game. The match required the Frenchman to take more responsibility with the ball, but he did not, and the pitch seemed very long for his team as a result. His passing was slow, and he did little to compensate by closing down the middle effectively. Bayern attacked almost at will, especially early in the second half. He received a yellow card that will rule him out of the return leg.

Güler: Very isolated when trying to find solutions on the counter-attack. He managed a few moments, but they amounted to little. He also tried to create danger from set pieces, without success. He was substituted in the 71st minute for Brahim.

Mbappé: It was not a great match for the Frenchman, but he was still by far Madrid’s most dangerous attacking player. He was slightly off target with his first chances, two cross-shots that Neuer denied. The second was an excellent attempt, but Neuer produced one of the saves of the year. On his next opportunity, Mbappé fired wide from a tight angle, with the goalkeeper seemingly covering the entire goal. Eventually he did find the net, finishing into an almost empty goal after a perfect pass from Trent, although even then Neuer nearly kept it out. His goal gives Madrid a glimmer of hope. He might have had more, too, with a late shot that went narrowly wide with Neuer beaten.

Vinicius: A poor performance from the Brazilian, who repeatedly tried to dribble past defenders without much success. His best chance was a long-range shot saved by Neuer. He also had a clear opportunity to bring Madrid back into the game earlier, but in a one-on-one with the goalkeeper he mishit the attempt and sent it wide. In the second half, as Madrid focused more on counter-attacks, he became more involved. He delivered a beautiful pass to Mbappé that the Frenchman failed to convert, and later received an equally good ball from Mbappé himself, but shot straight at the keeper.

Brahim: Came on in the 71st minute for Güler and added some solidity to Madrid’s counter-attacks.

Bellingham: Introduced in the 62nd minute for Thiago. He played well and, on one of his runs, delivered a superb pass to Mbappé. In matches like this, with space to run and forwards making aggressive runs ahead of him, he can return to his best form. The return leg in Munich could suit him.

Militão: Came on in the 62nd minute for Huijsen. He prevented what looked like a certain Bayern goal that would have made it 1-3. He is playing well and could soon reclaim a starting spot.

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