Mid-Season Notes
Real Madrid go into the World Cup with Champions League qualification and first place in their group, but after 14 days they are second in La Liga at the expense of Barça. Here are the mid-season ratings as determined by our editors.
Polite – 6.5 : We can’t say that last season’s Madrid hero, the Belgian, is at the same level of performance, at least not with the same regularity. He had physical problems which made him miss matches, but above all he was a bit more controlled. Less solvent.
Monday – 6 : He probably didn’t expect to spend time in so many games, but still… Ukrainian Thibaut Courtois “used” the back injury and played 6 games with “Real”, including the “clásico”. Although he did not show much confidence in the first games, he did his job and was decisive against Elche in his last game.
Mendy – 4.5 : This left lane boost was one of the summer’s debates, and frankly, we can’t say that everyone agreed. We still don’t see any progress in attack and he has not regained his status as an “insurmountable” player. Deschamps sacking him with the Blues when he intended to play at the back 4 is a direct result of this.
Alaba – 6 : Overall, still good David Alaba. He is one of Ancelotti’s most used players, also because he is sometimes lined up on the left as an alternative to Mendy. However, in these early months of competition, the defense is not entirely flawless.
Militao – 7 : Definitely one of the best of the season, which we thought would be weakened by the arrival of Rüdiger. After a slow first few games, he has improved to a very good level and scored two goals in the last two games.
Rudiger – 5.5 : We won’t lie to each other, it was not convincing if we emphasize two things: he also has the right to an adaptation period and, of course, he also has very good matches. On the other hand, he showed some declines in concentration in certain meetings.
Nachos – 6 : Not a huge game, including a poor performance against Leipzig, but the Spaniard remains almost flawless when called upon. Let’s not forget that since he plays once every X game, he has little rhythm.
Carvajal- 5.5 : There were good ones and good ones. Relatively confusing, but not alarming, because at least the body responds positively to the sequence of matches. He is solid defensively, but we have yet to see Carvajal make an impact on his right wing.
Vasquez – 5.5 : 11 games to replace Dani, who has a minor physical problem. Finished well enough with a decisive introduction against Sevilla and good matches against Cadiz and Celtic.
Chuameni – 6 : The form was a bit heavy at the start and he ended up a bit tough physically, but between the two he was excellent. The French immediately imposed themselves in the eleven after the departure of Casemiro and, although everything is not perfect, it is almost unanimous. He talked very well about the big matches we were waiting for (Atletico, Barça).
Camavinga – 4.5 : Madrid’s other Frenchman was unable to attack as he finished the previous season. He’s still not ready to start, but when Ancelotti tried to use him as a joke late in the match, he and above all lost his impact.
Ceballos – 5.5 : The Spaniard has improved on last season’s consistency. Carlo Ancelotti trusted him more because he was always very interesting during his performances, but unfortunately a new injury pulled the rug out from under him…
Kroos – 7.5 : We still don’t know if this season will be his last, but either way, he’s off to a great start. The German started physically strong and perhaps the most consistent of them all. This truce could well help him maintain this level until June.
Modric – 6.5 : There have been setbacks, such as against Rayo Vallecano, but overall the Croatian has had a good first part of the season.
⭐️ Valverde – 8 : He is certainly at the top of this first part of the season, the MVP of Real France. The Uruguayans came back even stronger and, above all, with a new devastating weapon: kicks. 8 goals for him and still an impressive performance on the field.
Asensio – 6.5 : A good, very good surprise of this start of the season. After what we know has been quite an uncertain summer, with Ancelotti almost being boycotted in the following weeks (at the behest of the club?), Asensio has managed to demonstrate that we can and should trust him because he is capable of being decisive. . In any case, the little game he had to put in his mouth was in time.
Danger – 4 : There was a lot of enthusiasm and hope for him, but unfortunately nothing changed for the Belgian and he was once again a very indifferent choice for his coach. Six minor appearances for him and it’s worth noting that he wasn’t as effective as, say, Asensio.
Vinicius – 7.5 : In Benzema’s absence, it was the Brazilian who carried Madrid’s attack at arm’s length at times. He is the scorer and passer of this first round and is clearly a continuation of the previous exercise. Without him, I wonder what Real Madrid’s attack would be like?
Rodrigo – 7 : He’s also in the end-of-season continuity, and we’ve been waiting for him. He finished harder because he’s used to replacing Benzema, where he’s arguably less comfortable, but whether he’s in a free position on the right or behind Benzema, he’s been a hit. Hopefully we’ll see more of him at his best from January.
Benzema – 5.5 : Mixed for the Ballon d’Or, but not bad either. He struggled a bit to start the season and when he did, the body demanded rest. Overall, we saw a decline in his performance compared to last year, and it showed both in the game and in the stats. The number of games missed is the most common statistic.
Ancelotti – 6.5 : The last few matches have left a bitter taste, but make no mistake, Real Madrid have had a very good first half of the season and Ancelotti has clearly managed his squad as a whole.
