Atletico Madrid 1-1 Real Madrid: Player ratings as late Karim Benzema strike rescues point for Los Blancos
By Tom Gott
Real Madrid needed yet another late goal to rescue them as an 88th-minute strike from Karim Benzema earned a 1-1 draw with league leaders Atletico Madrid.
Atletico quickly took control of the game and had Real pinned back early on, and Luis Suarez gave them a deserved lead in the 15th minute with a composed finish. Real had a few half-chances and saw an appeal for a penalty controversially ruled out by VAR - one of those unintentional handballs that VAR usually loves to give - but it was Atleti who ended the first half on top.
Diego Simeone's side remained on top after the break and should have doubled their lead early on, only for Thibaut Courtois to pull off a handful of excellent saves. It took Real about 70 minutes to take control of the game, and after some excellent saves from Jan Oblak, Los Blancos eventually got their equaliser as Karim Benzema tapped home from close range to earn his side a share of the spoils.
ATLETICO MADRID RATINGS
1. Goalkeeper & defenders
Jan Oblak (GK) - 8/10 - Rose to every challenge and pulled off an outstanding double save late on to bring his side close to a huge victory.
Kieran Trippier (RB) - 8/10 - Specifically targeted by Real on his long-awaited return from suspension, Trippier rose to the challenge excellently. Solid in defence and creative in attack.
Stefan Savic (CB) - 7/10 - Struggled to contain Benzema at times and lost out on a few headers, but didn't do much wrong. Composed with the ball at his feat.
Felipe (CB) - 7/10 - Dealt with everything that came his way, although was a little fortunate to get away with his handball. Maybe next time, don't jump with your eyes closed?
Mario Hermoso (LB) - 7/10 - Solid in defence and equally as impressive in winding up Vazquez at half-time.
2. Midfielders
Angel Correa (RM) - 8/10 - Brought some immense energy. His high-tempo pressing caused Real plenty of problems and he played a major part in a number of Atleti's attacks.
Marcos Llorente (CM) - 9/10 - Shone against his former employers. Linked up with Trippier and Correa to perfection and constantly burst down the right all game. An excellent assist for Suarez's opener.
Koke (CM) - 8/10 - Played in a deeper role to hoover up possession from the defence and showed real composure to navigate Real's press. Kept his side flowing forward with some excellent passes.
Thomas Lemar (CM) - 7/10 - Given a lot of freedom to play in the space behind Suarez, Lemar's movement was excellent, but his final ball left something to be desired.
Yannick Carrasco (LM) - 7/10 - Took a while to grow into the game and sometimes looked a little sluggish in comparison to his teammates. Enjoyed trying to run at Lucas Vazquez but had to wait a while to come out on top.
3. Forward
Luis Suarez (ST) - 7/10 - Didn't get too many chances but did his job when called upon. Showed excellent movement and composure to open the scoring.
4. Substitutes
Saul - 6/10
Joao Felix - 6/10
Geoffrey Kondogbia - N/A
REAL MADRID RATINGS
5. Goalkeeper & defenders
Thibaut Courtois (GK) - 7/10 - Had a quiet first half but made a handful of huge saves in the second to ensure Atleti didn't run away with this one.
Lucas Vazquez (RB) - 6/10 - For someone who is not a right-back, Vazquez did well to keep Carrasco quiet for the majority of the game. Tried to get involved in attack but was clearly hesitant to leave too much space behind him.
Raphael Varane (CB) - 5/10 - Mixed some good interceptions with some woeful decisions. Gifted Suarez and Llorente far too much space at times and was well out-paced for the opener.
Nacho Fernandez (CB) - 5/10 - Probably Real's best attacker? Was regularly seen flying down the left wing to get involved, but that desire to attack sometimes left a lot of space at the back.
Ferland Mendy (LB) - 5/10 - It was tough to tell what you were going to get from Mendy. He was solid in attack but struggled at the back, with Llorente and Correa dancing around him far too often.
6. Midfielders
Casemiro (DM) - 7/10 - Anchored the midfield well and kept things ticking over with some good passing. Atleti had to resort to attacking down the wings as they couldn't get past him. Unsurprisingly involved in Real's equaliser.
Toni Kroos (CM) - 7/10 - Struggled in the first half but quickly took control after the break. Dictated things with his passing and helped Real regain their footing.
Luka Modric (CM) - 7/10 - Showed his typical class on the ball but struggled with Atleti's numbers in midfield. Excellent work rate.
7. Forwards
Rodrygo (RW) - 3/10 - Forgot Rodrygo was playing until he was substituted on the hour mark.
Karim Benzema (ST) - 6/10 - Found himself in some good positions and should have had a handful of goals, but ended up having to settle for just one late on.
Marco Asensio (LW) - 3/10 - Joined Rodrygo in that hour-mark substitution, in what was probably his highlight of the game.
8. Substitutes
Federico Valverde - 5/10
Vinicius Junior - 6/10