Courtois 7.5, Vinicius 7.0 | Real Madrid 1-2 Arsenal: Player ratings | OneFootball

The Santiago Bernabeu gave it their all, but Real Madrid ultimately failed to climb the mountain and headed towards a Champions League quarter-final exit against Arsenal.

Bukayo Saka killed any hopes in the 65th minute before Gabriel Martinelli buried the final nail in the coffin in injury time, as Vinicius’ goal could not amount to much.

The team lacked intensity in what was expected to be a high-octane clash where Los Blancos would script an unforgettable comeback, but it wasn’t to be.

Here is how the Real Madrid players fared against Arsenal.

Player ratings

Thibaut Courtois – 7.5/10

Similar to the 1st leg, the Belgian was the best player on the pitch and made 4 saves in the match, including a Saka penalty in the 10th minute. Unlike the rest of the players, he was the best at what he did in both legs.

Lucas Vazquez – 4/10

Perhaps Ancelotti got this tactically wrong because Fede Valverde should have been the right-back. Expectedly, the Spaniard won just 3/7 duels and defensively made 3 clearances only. Just not cut out for the big nights.

Raul Asencio – 5.5/10

Not his best game by any means. Conceded the penalty earlier on and was unable to get hold of Saka for the opening goal.

Antonio Rudiger – 6/10

Left a lot to be desired, defensively speaking. Won 3/9 duels, made 3 clearances, and 1 tackle only. Not the display expected from your team’s best defender.

David Alaba – 5/10

Saka got the better of him this time around, as the Austrian committed a silly tackle earlier on and got booked. He was leaving a lot of space on the wing and should be lucky that more damage wasn’t done.

Aurelien Tchouameni – 6.5/10

The Frenchman looked calm on the ball at times, but Martin Odegaard seemed to get the better of him on most occasions. 5/7 duels won along with 6 defensive actions.

Jude Bellingham – 6/10

A lot was expected from him in the 2nd leg, but he was unable to pull it off. The Arsenal midfielder proved to be too much for him to handle. Won half of the 16 duels he was involved in and notched a single key pass.

Fede Valverde – 7/10

A better display than the other two midfielders. As always, he played his heart out and showed immense work rate by helping Vazquez out, too. 10 defensive actions and was successful at winning 10/12 duels.

Rodrygo – 6/10

Nothing much to show, but it was still a better display as compared to his previous few matches. Looked dangerous at times, but was unable to make the most of it.

Kylian Mbappe – 5.5/10

Ended this season’s UCL campaign with a forgettable performance, to say the least. He was unable to register a shot on target and was pinned down by Saliba and Kiwior.

Vinicius Junior – 7/10

Another bright spot, along with Courtois. He was the only player to trouble the Arsenal defence and got his side’s only goal through hard work and intense pressing.

Substitutes

Fran Garcia – 6/10

Better than Alaba, and he should have started the game in the first place. Full of energy and offered an extra body on the attacking front.

Dani Ceballos – 6/10

He was not fully fit for this fixture and hence had to play out the final half an hour of the match. Won both his duels and was accurate with 95% of his passes.

Endrick – 5/10

Made some attacking runs up front but to no avail. Even though he was unable to contribute much, this appearance would offer him some confidence.

Luka Modric – 6/10

His presence was required earlier on and showed in his 25-minute stint why he’s one of the best. Recorded a key pass and completed 22/23 passes. Reportedly, also seems to have played his final UCL match for the club.

Brahim Diaz – 5/10

The only player other than Vini to have a shot on target, however, it did not trouble David Raya. Perhaps Ancelotti missed a trick by keeping him on the bench till late.