Real Madrid head into the international break with 8 points, thanks to a deserved victory against Real Betis.
Dani Ceballos made an unexpected start but had a decent outing. Similarly, Fede Valverde and Tchouameni played on an entire different level, putting the poor performance against Las Palmas behind them.
Kylian Mbappe scored his first goals in La Liga with his new club, and thus put his scoring woes behind him.
The following ratings reflect how the Real Madrid players fared in this match.
Player ratings:
Thibaut Courtois: 7.0
Recorded his second cleansheet in La Liga. Made two important saves, including one from inside the box. The Belgian looked fairly comfortable on the ball and will hope to continue his form after the international break.
Dani Carvajal: 7.0
The Spaniard’s best outing this season. Defensively solid even though his marker caused him some trouble. Tackles, interceptions, clearances, blocking shots – he did it all.
Eder Militao: 7.5
A way better performance as compared to the last game. He was alert this time around and did not make any mistakes whatsoever. Had 2 interceptions and clearances each along with 1 blocked shot.
Antonio Rüdiger: 7.5
Another day, another solid Rüdiger performance. Reliable as always. Had a crack at goal from distance too. Rock solid as the centre back, making important tackles, interceptions and clearances.
Ferland Mendy: 7.0
An outing he would personally be pleased with. Kept Rodri Sanchez in his pocket. Won his ground and aerial duels. Not as effective on the attacking front but solid in defence.
Aurelien Tchouaméni: 8.0
The Frenchman was on a mission to show the world what he is actually capable of after a few quiet outings. A treat to watch and complete performance as a defensive midfielder. 3/3 key passes and won all but one of his duels. Also had 4 interceptions and tackles and blocked 2 shots at goal. Could not have asked for a better show.
Federico Valverde: 8.0
Arguably the best midfielder in the world right now. He was just all over the place. Defence, attack, midfield – everywhere. Tried scoring in the first half but was unable to do so. Had an assist but it was not a normal assist as he played a sumptuous no-look backheel pass to set Mbappe up for his first La Liga goal. Sky is the limit for the Uruguayan.
Dani Ceballos: 7.0
Not many people would have expected him to make a start, but he did against his former side. Held his ground well, kept possession and it was not easy for Betis to rob the ball off him. A calm presence in the Real Madrid midfield. This performance would give him a lot of confidence.
Another impressive outing for the Brazilian. The best player in the first half. Had two shots at goal, which were saved and off target, respectively. Made some eye catching dribbles and combined well upfront later on in the game.
Kylian Mbappe: 8.5
The boy from Bondy’s dream finally came true as he scored his first and second league goal in front of the Bernabeu faithful. Yet again, had 7 shots at goal before ultimately finding the back of the net and later on scoring the penalty. This may well and truly be the start of something special at Real Madrid.
Vinícius Júnior: 7.5
It was nice to see this particular Brazilian back to his old hairstyle. He even had a better performance than the previous match. Looked to pump up the crowd on multiple occasions and in an act of true sportsmanship, handed the penalty he had earned to Mbappe for the Frenchman to have his moment.
Substitutes:
Fran García: 6.5
Nice to see the Spaniard repaying the faith shown in him by Carlo after he was brought on yet again. Looked lively on the field and made an important block to end Betis’ counterattack.
Brahim Díaz: 7.0
It seems like the Moroccan should be named as an automatic substitute for the entire season. Looks like a completely different player when he comes off the bench. Made some insane dribbles and played an important part in the first goal.
Luka Modric: 6.0
His age is showing but regardless, the Croatian tried and looked comfortable on the ball despite losing possession a few times.
