Thibaut Courtois: 8. It is difficult to blame him for any of the goals conceded. He made three saves, two of which were massive interventions to keep Real Madrid in the game. Denzel Dumfries: 5.5. Bad defense, especially in AEK’s second goal. His assists and threatening overloads offered some compensation, but his defensive work left a lot to be desired. Éder Militão: 6. Made several defensive bets that did not pay off. He still doesn’t seem to be in top shape. Antonio Rüdiger: 6.5. He distributed the ball well but was a step slow in reading the play. Real Madrid’s absence of both starting centre-backs was noticeable throughout the night. Marc Cucurella: 7.5. He was unable to close out Koita’s shot for AEK’s first goal, but defended well overall despite receiving little help on his flank. He constantly threatened with his runs in the final third and made several good passes, including assisting Jude Bellingham. Unlucky not to score. Bernardo Silva: 7. He had some difficulties with possession, but he was safe with the ball at his feet and was important for Real Madrid’s preparation. Eduardo Camavinga: 7.5. A couple of bad defensive sequences, but he also recorded a whopping nine tackles. His initial escape from pressure was an important part of the play that led to Real Madrid’s second goal. Yan Diomande: 7.5. A constant threat with his dribbling, creating spaces to make crosses and cuts. He completed four dribbles, more than anyone else on the field. Jude Bellingham: 8.5. The outstanding figure of Real Madrid alongside Valverde. A magician who pulled the strings, especially in the first half, and scored one of the goals of the season. Vinícius Júnior: 4. Lost possession 11 times, failed to complete a single dribble, did not help Cucurella in defense and was poor in his shot. A frustrating night. Kylian Mbappé: 7. He lacked his usual precision, finishing with seven shots, three on goal and one goal. He still scored the crucial equalizer in the second half, hit the crossbar and remained very involved despite the chances he missed. Fede Valverde: 8.5. Along with Bellingham, the best Real Madrid player of the night. Dominant in transition after coming off the bench and scoring a spectacular winning goal. He produced a game-high three key passes despite playing just 24 minutes. Endrick: 8. Full of life off the bench. Mbappé escaped and made a great run to win the corner just before Valverde’s goal. Brahim Díaz: 7. Assisted Valverde’s winning goal. Álvaro Carreras: 6.5. Solid in possession of the ball, Real Madrid closed the game and made good attacking runs.
