Real Madrid had to settle for a draw in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich, leaving all to play for when they host the Bundesliga giants on Wednesday.
Two goals from Vinicius Junior kept Madrid well within the game, with the Brazilian opening up the scoreline in the 24th minute thanks to a stunning assist from Toni Kroos. He was also the last to etch his name into the scoresheet, netting a penalty in the game’s final moments.
These are Madrid’s best and worst players according to 90min’s player ratings.
Vinicius Junior – 8/10
Vinicius Junior bagged both of Madrid’s goals, being the first to hit the back of the net in the first half and the last to claim a goal in the closing moments of the game.
The Brazilian was a constant threat up and down the pitch, demonstrating dynamic runs that caused havoc for the likes of Kim Min-jae at the back. Vinicius looked electric on the pitch, but was able to remain composed when stepping up to take the all-important penalty.
His efforts made the real difference for Madrid, and will be incredibly useful when they return to face Bayern next week.
Honourable mention
Toni Kroos – 7/10
Toni Kroos played the role of the conductor in the orchestra that was the clash between Madrid and Bayern, and he played it well.
He worked to pull the strings from his deep lying central midfield role, bringing an assured nature to an otherwise chaotic area of the pitch.
Kroos also delivered the assist for Vinicius’ opening goal, throwing Madrid into the game. Carlo Ancelotti said there were “no words” for him after the game, summing up his spectacular performance.
Lucas Vazquez – 4/10
Lucas Vazquez resembled something of a deer in headlights, often struggling to compete with the talented Bayern players.
He stuck out a clumsy leg to gift Bayern their penalty, handing them a lead which Madrid had to fight to overturn. While right-back is not his natural position, a player of his experience and stature should have been able to cope with the occasion better.
Dishonourable mention
Jude Bellingham – 5/10
The game seemed to bypass Jude Bellingham at points, something that the 20-year-old is not often guilty of.
Bellingham struggled to gain impact in the final third, an area where he is usually very affective for Madrid. The combative Bayern midfield looked to shun him out of the game and got their reward when Bellingham was hauled off with 15 minutes to go.
Ancelotti admitted that this was not his “best level” and will hope to see him return to his usual standards next week.
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