Real Madrid 2-1 Rayo Vallecano: Los Blancos Player Ratings as they move level on top with comfortable win | La Liga 2024-25

Two goals in the first half from Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr in the space of four minutes ensured Real Madrid took home all three points against Rayo Vallecano. They returned with a 2-1 win in La Liga on Sunday, March 9.

Carlo Ancelotti made a bunch of changes, keeping in mind the side's midweek second-leg Champions League clash. Thibaut Courtois, Antonio Rudiger, and Fede Valverde all missed out, while Jude Bellingham returned from suspension.

Real Madrid dominated the early part of the game and came close to going ahead but Vinicius was denied by the woodwork following some clever interplay between the attackers.

They eventually took the lead after 30 minutes through Mbappe, owing to some fine work from the Frenchman. He received a pass from Vinicius, went past a defender and finished calmly to break the deadlock.

Four minutes later the Brazilian got on the scoresheet himself. Vinicius received a pass from Luka Modric and fired a shot that deflected on the way in to double their tally.

Late in the first half, the visitors halved their deficit with a brilliant strike. Pedro Diaz's fiesty effort dipped in off the bar and barely crossed the line to make it 2-1.

The game calmed down in the second half as Real Madrid were content to play the second half out, barely providing any opportunities to their opponents. The win sees them move to second, level with Barcelona on 57 points who have a game in hand. Here are the player ratings:

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Real Madrid Player Ratings

Andriy Lunin - 6.5/10

He could not do much about the great goal that his side conceded but was solid throughout, solidifying himself as a reliable No 2. He made five saves in all.

Lucas Vazquez - 6/10

Vazquez continues to struggle in a defensive role despite gaining a lot of minutes here. He found himself out of position at times and struggled to get into the game.

Raul Asencio - 6.5/10

A solid presence at the back, defending well and finishing with two blocks, one interception and one clearance.

David Alaba - 7/10

A strong outing at the back for the Austrian as he continues his recovery from a long-term injury layoff. He barely put a foot wrong and was active on the ball as well.

Fran Garcia - 6.5/10

Garcia covered a lot of ground, moving up and down the pitch but could not provide much of a threat on the ball.

Aurelien Tchouameni - 6.5/10

His presence at the base of midfield was critical as Real Madrid found it difficult to keep their shape at times. He had five duels won and two recoveries in the game.

Luka Modric - 7.5/10

The veteran Croatian was the side's creator-in-chief, proving to be a constant threat by taking up different positions across the midfield. He had four chances created, eight passes into the final third and an assist.

Jude Bellingham - 6/10

Bellingham could not contribute much coming off a suspension and largely remained on the periphery of the game.

Rodrygo - 6/10

The Brazilian seemed to injure his hand in the first half, which likely had an impact on his performance. He had just one successful dribble, one shot and one chance created, indicating how he found it difficult to influence the game

Kylian Mbappe - 7/10

Mbappe had a lively first half and capped it off with a brilliant piece of play to open the scoring, taking his tally to 18 on the season.

Vinicius Jr - 7.5/10

A constant threat down the left for Vallecano, Vinicius also provided a moment of magic with his goal and had a few more opportunities to add to the scoreline.

Substitutes

Federico Valverde - 6/10

Came on for Rodrygo and helped see the game out.

Eduardo Camavinga and Brahim Diaz - N/A

The duo came on late and did not play enough minutes to merit a rating.