'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAHAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQH/8QAFQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAX/2gAMAwEAAhADEAAAAM8nJ5//xAAfEAABAwQDAQAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgMFAAQREiEyQWH/2gAIAQEAAT8Aaj5Ji0wiLSXAnuFNnYHHhVgc0qGkAog2LQP3Sv/EABgRAAIDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAERAAIU/9oACAECAQE/ANt0ChP/xAAXEQADAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQID/9oACAEDAQE/AFrR/9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Defending La Liga and European champions, Real Madrid have enjoyed a fruitful start to their 2022-23 football season, with 15 wins, three draws and one loss from 19 competitive matches.
Their start to the season was highlighted by a nine-match winning streak and a 2-0 triumph in the UEFA Super Cup against last season’s Europa League winners Eintracht Frankfurt.
Trending
Los Blancos are currently atop the La Liga standings with 32 points, one point ahead of great rivals Barcelona. They also topped Group F in the Champions League, ahead of RB Leipzig.
This has been a collective effort from the Spanish giants, but we take a look at five players who deserve that extra bit of spotlight for their contributions this season.
#5 Luka Modric
At 37 years old, Luka Modric is still one of the best-performing players for Real Madrid this season. The Croatian midfielder recently scored in Madrid's 5-1 win over Celtic in the Champions League, taking his tally to four goals and two assists across all competitions.
Modric's stellar performances have led to standing ovations from different sets of fans this season, including away to Celta Vigo in Madrid's second league match of the season.
#4 Rodrygo
Since scoring in the second leg of last season's Champions League quarter-final second leg against Chelsea, Rodrygo has enjoyed the best run of his Real Madrid career.
The Brazilian has four goals and four assists in his eight starts in La Liga Santander. He has also scored three goals and assisted one more in the Champions League.
The youngster deputized Ballon d'Or winning teammate Karim Benzema on numerous occasions in the 2022-23 season and has scored in a number of important fixtures this season. He scored the winning goal against Real Betis and got on the scoresheet and assisted in the home fixture against Shakhtar Donetsk.
The Brazilian also scored the game-clinching penalty against Barcelona in the first El Clasico of the ongoing campaign.
#3 Toni Kroos
German midfielder Toni Kroos has been stellar in his ninth season at Real Madrid and has three assists in all competitions this season. This includes an assist for Antonio Rudiger's 95th-minute goal to seal Madrid's qualification into the Champions League Round of 16.
Kroos currently leads the Champions League in passes into the final third (80), progressive passes (45), corner kicks (21), and touches (602).
He also sits in the top 10 for the progressive passing distance (5th) and key passes (9th) in the Champions League. The German has played the most minutes of any Madrid player in the competition this season.
#2 Vinicius Junior
Vinicius Junior picked up where he left off last season when he finished eighth in the 2022 Ballon d'Or voting results. The Brazilian has been talismanic for his side, leading the entire team in goal contributions so far this season.
The youngster has scored 10 goals in all competitions for Los Blancos, along with contributing five assists - making him first and joint-first in both categories respectively. He leads the Champions League in xG (4.7), with total shots (25) and shots on target (12).
Vinicius is also integral to Madrid's attack, playing a crucial role in a number of goals that he might not have received an official goal contribution for. This includes the first goal against RB Leipzig at home, the second goal against Atletico Madrid away and the opening goal against Barcelona in El Clasico.
#1 Federico Valverde
Federico Valverde is enjoying the best season of his career and has been Real Madrid's best player so far this term. The Uruguayan international has scored eight goals in all competitions this season, including five goals from outside the box, more than any other player from Europe's top leagues.
The midfielder recently won Real Madrid's 'Player of the Month' award for October and has now won the award in successive months. Valverde leads the Champions League in key passes (15) and is in the top 10 for passes into the penalty area (16) and shot-creating actions (27).
