Real Madrid's best and worst players in humbling Clasico loss to Barcelona
- Real Madrid were thumped 4-0 at home to Barcelona on Saturday night
- Kylian Mbappe endured a debut Clasico to forget
- Unlike the visitors' well-organised backline, Madrid's rearguard was not so solid
Carlo Ancelotti remained defiantly adamant that his bruised and battered Real Madrid side held their own against Barcelona for most of what ended as a humiliating 4-0 home loss on Saturday night.
"For 60 minutes we competed very well," the Italian manager insisted. But even Ancelotti's eternal optimism has its limits. "We have to forget the last 30," he conceded.
A thrilling Clasico was goalless before Robert Lewandowski broke the deadlock in the 54th minute. The in-form Pole doubled Barcelona's advantage two minutes later, prompting the floodgates to open. Goals from Lamine Yamal and the rejuvenated Raphinha turned a reverse into a rout.
In a game where Madrid had plenty of scoring opportunities themselves, here is a closer look at the individuals who managed to emerge with some credibility and those that crumbled, courtesy of 90min's player ratings.
Real Madrid's best player vs Barcelona
Vinicius Junior: 5/10
The Ballon d'Or favourite could not prepare for his crowning ceremony on Monday with a Clasico victory, despite his best efforts. Vinicius Junior's blistering pace and appreciation of space afforded ample opportunity to burst beyond Barcelona's ludicrously high backline.
Unlike some of his teammates, Vinicius managed to time his darts in behind, but was lacking his usual clinical edge in front of goal. The Brazilian dragged one particularly promising effort wide while the game was still level in the first half.
Vinicius was also responsible for arguably the best pass of the night. Spinning an audacious ball with the outside of his right boot around Jules Kounde, Madrid's number seven teed up the team's new talisman, Kylian Mbappe, for a glorious one-on-one opportunity, only to watch the Frenchman fire a tame effort straight at Inaki Pena. It was not the first or last chance Mbappe would squander.
Real Madrid's worst player vs Barcelona
Kylian Mbappe: 2/10
Mbappe is no stranger to broken records. However, the prolific Frenchman would not have wanted to equal the high-watermark which he set on Saturday night. Mbappe was caught offside on eight separate occasions, the most of any player on record in a single La Liga match.
Madrid's summer recruit had the ball in Barcelona's net twice, yet both were chalked off upon closer inspection. Mbappe did beat the offside trap on occasion. But without the flicker of a neon flag in his peripheral vision, the Frenchman seized up, firing all three of the shots which counted straight at Pena.
Dishonourable mention
Ferland Mendy - 3/10
On a night when Barcelona's high line remained intact, Lewandowski pierced the centre of Real Madrid's scrambled rearguard. None of the four white shirts in defence for the hosts were in line with each other when Marc Casado picked up the ball on the halfway line ten minutes into the second half. Ferland Mendy was the deepest of this muddled backline, criminally playing Lewandowski onside for the game's all-important opening goal.
Ancelotti hailed Mendy as the best defensive left-back in the world earlier this year, yet he struggled when faced with the teenage exuberance of Yamal. The braces-clad winger skipped away from his French opponent on more than one occasion and bamboozled Mendy by blasting the ball past Andriy Lunin with his weaker right foot to make it 3-0 late in the second half.
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