Player Ratings: Celta Vigo 1 – 2 Real Madrid
Thibaut Courtois: 8
Real Madrid don’t win this game without the Belgian. Produced two crucial saves to keep Madrid alive.
Trent Alexander-Arnold: 5
Poor defending on Celta Vigo’s goal. Aside from a lovely ball over the top to Vinicius in the first half, he wasn’t his usual self on the ball. Still, he should probably have had an assist — he delivered a whopping 13 crosses and consistently tried to create danger.
Raúl Asencio: 5 Struggled to hold the offside
trap and was overly aggressive at times.
Antonio Rüdiger: 6
Also had issues holding the line but was slightly more stable than his center-back partner and made a few crucial clearances.
Ferland Mendy: 7
Very solid shift in his return. Prevented Iago Aspas from scoring in the 93rd minute — a massive intervention — and moments later Fede Valverde scored the winner.
Aurélien Tchouaméni: 8.5
Aside from poor tracking on Celta’s goal, he was nearly flawless. His ball-winning was outstanding and he scored a fantastic goal from a corner, placing it perfectly inside the post.
Arda Güler: 6
Played in a bizarre pseudo–false 9 role and struggled. It’s not his natural game, but even beyond that he had difficulty connecting simple vertical passes.
Thiago Pitarch: 7
Excellent pressing and showed composure in tight spaces when under pressure.
Fede Valverde: 7.5
Helped stabilize Madrid’s possession, particularly in the second half, and scored the decisive late winner.
Brahim Díaz: 4
A poor outing overall. Couldn’t break lines from the wing and failed to generate danger in the box.
Vinícius Jr.: 4.5
Quiet by his standards. Did manage a couple shots and key passes, but never truly imposed himself on the game. Said afterward that he’s feeling fatigued from the heavy minutes he’s been playing.
Substitutes
César Palacios: 7
Very impressive cameo. Recorded three interceptions and linked play well around the box.
Gonzalo García: 5
Little of note. Just six touches in his brief appearance.
Manuel Ángel: N/A
