Tactics
Against Rayo Vallecano, Carlo Ancelotti made two changes to Real Madrid starting line-up as compared to the previous match. Here's what it looked like.
Marco Asensio replaced Lucas Vazquez, likely to provide more creativity upfront, and it did work since the Whites created more chances than last time. Marco even assisted one of the goals as Real Madrid won 2-1.
The second change was Eduardo Camavinga starting ahead of Luka Modric. The Croat could not take part in the game due to illness.
Other than that, Ancelotti had the same plan for the game — push high from the get-go and try to score. After the goal, focus on retaining possession if possible or hurting the opponent on the counter.
Another thing that deserves our attention are the subs. The coach made the first changes in the 83rd minute and they did not have a big impact on the game.
Rating: 8/10
Defence
Madrid looked solid defensively in the first half, barely allowing any chances. After the break, though, it was harder for them to cope as Rayo Vallecano upped their intensity.
As a result, Los Blancos conceded a header from Radamel Falcao, and the game could've ended in a 2-2 draw if not for a crucial goalline clearance from Toni Kroos in the added time. The visitors had a few other dangerous attacks as well.
Rating: 5/10
Finishing
Real Madrid registered 15 shots, seven of them on target, but scored only twice. This is a clear sign that our players' finishing wasn't at their usual level.
Marco Asensio missed a one-on-one as he unsuccessfully tried to lob the goalkeeper.
The most surprising were Karim Benzema's misses, though. The Frenchman headed the ball over the crossbar from just a few metres in and with the goalkeeper already beaten. Then he missed another shot from inside the box after a backheel pass from Ferland Mendy.
Rating: 4/10
Teamwork
Despite a few blunders here and there, Real Madrid did look like a solid unit against Vallecano. The chances they created were not results of individual brilliance, for the most part, but actual link-ups between players.
Ancelotti's men also defended collectively quite well, all the players were contributing, and the pressing was more organized and worked better than it did against Shakhtar Donetsk.
Rating: 9/10
