Real Madrid suffered a 2-1 home defeat to Bayern Munich at the Bernabéu on Tuesday night, leaving them with a challenging task for the return leg. The margin of loss could have been considerably wider, given the flow of the game.
Andriy Lunin – 6.5
Andriy Lunin showed some unease when distributing the ball, with his efforts to build from the back often hindering rather than helping. While he was largely helpless against Bayern’s goals, one might wonder if Thibaut Courtois could have denied Harry Kane. He did, however, impressively block Serge Gnabry’s close-range attempt.
Trent Alexander-Arnold – 6.5
Trent Alexander-Arnold presented a game of two halves. His excellent pass and crucial involvement in Kylian Mbappé’s goal were clear highlights. Conversely, it was unsurprising to see Luis Díaz frequently exploit the space behind him, especially for Bayern’s opening goal and on numerous other occasions that Bayern failed to capitalize on. His performance was indeed a mixed bag.
Antonio Rüdiger – 6
Antonio Rüdiger wasn’t the primary cause of Real Madrid’s defensive struggles, nor did he provide the solution. He was caught out of position a few times, which nearly proved costly for Los Blancos.
Dean Huijsen – 6
Dean Huijsen made one promising run forward only to lose possession. While not his strongest outing, he frequently had to cover for Álvaro Carreras on the left flank.
Álvaro Carreras – 3
Álvaro Carreras endured a torrid first half, constantly struggling against Michael Olise, who bypassed him with ease. He was also guilty of giving away possession cheaply multiple times, and his attempts to push forward often left his defensive position exposed.
Fede Valverde – 5
Fede Valverde narrowly redeemed a poor giveaway near his own penalty area with a well-timed tackle. Tasked with balancing midfield duties, covering for Trent Alexander-Arnold, and joining attacks, he seemed somewhat overwhelmed by the demands.
Thiago Pitarch – 4.5
Considering the midfield’s overall performance, Thiago Pitarch had a relatively fair game before his substitution. However, he was fortunate for the second time in his Champions League career when a terrible pass of his somehow didn’t lead to a Bayern goal.
Aurélien Tchouaméni – 5.5
Aurélien Tchouaméni, as often is the case, appeared more stable than his midfield partners but found it difficult to truly impact the game. While he was defensively well-positioned to thwart Bayern’s attacks in front of the backline, he couldn’t contribute much to Real Madrid’s build-up play.
Arda Güler – 7.5
Arda Güler was once again an understandable candidate for substitution. In the first half, he delivered several crucial passes that created clear opportunities for Kylian Mbappé and Vinicius Junior, which unfortunately went unconverted.
Kylian Mbappé – 5
Kylian Mbappé scored the goal, but it was a straightforward finish from Alexander-Arnold’s excellent cross. While he tested Manuel Neuer with two or three decent efforts, a player of Mbappé’s caliber would typically be expected to convert more of those chances.
Vinicius Junior – 4
Vinicius Junior was culpable for Bayern’s first goal due to a misplaced pass and largely failed to assert his dominance throughout the match. Despite being theoretically a stronger player than Josip Stanišić, he couldn’t effectively beat his marker. With seven shots and no real impact, his performance was highly inefficient.
Substitutes
Eder Militao – 7.5
Eder Militao, lauded as the world’s best defender by Álvaro Arbeloa, undoubtedly proved to be Real Madrid’s most effective. He made several critical interventions in the latter stages of the game, even when his team’s defense was stretched.
Jude Bellingham – 7
Jude Bellingham delivered a clean and composed performance after coming on. He seemed to play somewhat cautiously but contributed to Real Madrid’s sporadic moments of pressure towards the end of the match.
Brahim Díaz – 6.5
Brahim Díaz exhibited good movement and linked play effectively across the pitch after his introduction, finding promising positions. However, he ultimately struggled to make a decisive impact when it mattered most.
