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13-time UEFA Champions League winners Real Madrid registered an emphatic 5-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk in their third Group D fixture on Tuesday night. Carlo Ancelotti’s men were handed a shock 2-1 defeat by Sheriff Tiraspol in their last European outing and needed a fitting reply to get their Champions League campaign back on track.
An own goal by Sergey Krivstov gave Real Madrid the lead before the half-time whistle. Los Blancos came out all guns blazing in the second half and tripled their advantage inside the next 11 minutes, thanks to a Vinicius Jr brace. Rodrygo was next to get on the scoresheet before Karim Benzema joined the party to cap off a five-star performance away from home.
Most of Real Madrid's players were impressive in their final game before Sunday’s El Clasico, but some stars shone brighter than others.
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Here are the top five performers in Real Madrid’s commanding 5-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk in the UEFA Champions League.
#5 Toni Kroos
Since joining the club in 2014, Toni Kroos has been one of the most crucial cogs of Real Madrid’s machine. However, with age and niggling injuries catching up with him, the German has had to sit out quite a few matches this season. Kroos finally looked at home on Tuesday, producing the efficient football he is famous for.
The German sat on the left side of midfield and dictated the tempo of the play. He easily defused Shakhtar’s inconsistent press and ran the show alongside Luka Modric. Kroos also completed two tackles in the match, highlighting his knack for sniffing out danger.
Kroos created two chances in the UEFA Champions League encounter against Shakhtar and managed to get both of his shots on target. It was a confidence-boosting performance from the German in the UEFA Champions League, which should allow him to soar higher in the upcoming matches.
#4 Luka Modric
Similar to his midfield partner Toni Kroos, Luka Modric also took it up a notch in the UEFA Champions League outing against Shakhtar Donetsk. The Croatian midfielder has been battling exhaustion since the start of the season.
With Real Madrid’s weekend clash against Athletic Bilbao postponed, Modric could get some shuteye, which showed on the pitch on Tuesday.
Not only did Modric dominate the Shakhtar midfielders, but he was a lot more effective further up the pitch. He could not get on the scoresheet himself but provided an inch-perfect assist to set up Vinicius Jr’s opener.
Modric was taken off in favor of Eduardo Camavinga with a quarter of an hour still to play, with the Croatian expected to star in Sunday’s blockbuster clash against Barcelona.
#3 Rodrygo
Real Madrid right-winger Rodrygo has already built a special relationship with the biggest club cup competition in the world - the UEFA Champions League. The Brazilian may not get as many opportunities as his compatriot Vinicius Jr, but he rarely misses the mark in the continental competition.
On Tuesday, he once again fired home for Real Madrid, topping off an impressive outing before Sunday’s all-important El Clasico. The right-winger was quick to sniff out an opportunity and drove Vinicius Jr’s cross into the roof of the net to put Real 4-0 up.
Following his impressive outing, we would be surprised if he does not start against Barcelona this Sunday.
#2 Karim Benzema
Since Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure, Karim Benzema has been Real Madrid’s knight in shining armor. The Frenchman has produced goals, assists and world-class interlinking play to keep Los Blancos afloat. On Tuesday night, he did not necessarily need to do it all on his own, but he refused to take a breather.
Karim Benzema created multiple scoring opportunities for Los Blancos in the first half. A couple of his shots made the keeper weary, but he could not ripple the net himself.
However, the UEFA Nations League winner did influence the own goal Shakhtar scored last night in the UEFA Champions League. His presence inside the box made Krivstov nervous and he could not help but hit the back of his own net.
Benzema capped off his brilliant outing by tapping Marco Asensio’s delivery in just before the full-time whistle. The no.9 was in the right place at the right time to bag the goal his performance deserved.
#1 Vinicius Jr
Real Madrid left-winger Vinicius Junior started the season brightly, scoring five goals in as many La Liga fixtures. However, his form eventually took a tumble and he went five games without scoring a goal. Last night, Vinicius Jr. got his mojo back and was the standout performer for Los Blancos in the UEFA Champions League.
After practically disappearing in Real Madrid’s defeat to Sheriff, Vinicius Jr. produced his best performance of the 2021-22 campaign. After tormenting the right-back in the first half, Vinicius promptly got on the scoresheet in the second 45, courtesy of a Luka Modric assist.
Five minutes later, he took matters into his own hands, weaving past multiple defenders to hit one of the best goals of his career. Finally, Vinicius capped off his man-of-the-match display with an inch-perfect cross to Rodrygo, who fired home to ensure maximum points for the visitors.
It was an outstanding performance by the young Brazilian in the UEFA Champions League, etched with goals and a superb assist. Real Madrid will need their winger to carry his form over to La Liga and hopefully help Los Blancos’ case at the Camp Nou at the weekend.
