Player Ratings: Red Bull Salzburg 0-1 Real Madrid

As Real Madrid approaches the end of their /20 pre-season campaign, there’s not a lot of time to improve on their summer record (two wins and three losses) before jumping head first into the 2019/20 season.

During tonight’s friendly against Red Bull Salzburg, head coach Zinedine Zidane was once again looking to rejuvenate some life into this slumped Real Madrid and opted to go out with a 3-5-2-1 lineup.

With the strong defensive backline, the attacking players were given more freedom to play up front and it was Eden Hazard’s solo goal that made the difference for the Spanish giants.

Full player ratings from the game below.

Thibaut Courtois - 7.5: The Belgian keeper didn’t find himself having to make any significant saves but when an attacking ball came anywhere near the goal, he took the appropriate measures to make sure he kept a clean sheet.

Raphael Varane - 7: Seemed a bit timid on the pitch and made some risky tackles when he realized he wasn’t on his man. Eased into the game in the second half and was good in aerial duels. Still seems to be lacking a bit of confidence though.

Sergio Ramos - 7.5: Did very well to be the central player along the backline and showed he can lead the team and fulfill his defending duties with ease. Regular performance from the Captain.

Eder Militao - 6.5: Not a bad debut for the Brazilian. Did well to cut off the runs from his opponents and shadowed them nicely but sometimes forgot how much space he had behind him and let Salzburg players take advantage of it.

Dani Carvajal - 6.5: Nothing special tonight from the right back. With Hazard along the wings, Carvajal doesn’t get a lot of chances to put in crosses. Overall, not bad but not great, looked tired in the second half.

Casemiro - 8: His reappearance tonight showed that Casemiro is one of the most crucial players on the squad. As one of the only defensive midfielders, the Brazilian can put himself in a position to stop any attacking threat and it’s crucial to the team’s fluidity.

Toni Kroos - 7: Found himself along the wings a lot as Marcelo moved more towards the centre. Was sometimes limited in creativity without another midfield counterpart. Much like others, not the best but not the worst either.

Marcelo - 7.5: Because of the new formation, Marcelo was given the freedom to float around up top and did very well to be the creative mind in the midfield alongside a dulled Kroos. Worked well with Hazard, Benzema and Vinicius Junior throughout the game.

Eden Hazard - 8: Finally got his first goal for his new club and it was a beautiful one at that and once he put the ball past the keeper, all the stress lifted off his shoulders. Also did well to switch between wings with Benzema, Marcelo, Isco.

Isco - 6.5: Managed to show his qualities, at times, but for majority of this match Isco didn’t have a lot to offer. Tried to put on a lot of showboating but never was able to follow through with the pass or the goal. Certainly not what he could have produced nor what was expected of the Spaniard.

Karim Benzema - 7.5: Often found himself in the right positions and showed he can still be a threat along the wings despite being listed as the main striker for the match. Set up a beautiful assist for Hazard’s goal in the first half and tried to work with Jovic in the second. Just needs another goal of his own now

Substitutions

Fede Valverde - 7: Did well to drop back in front of Ramos when Salzburg was propelling forward and often cut out passes from his opponents. Was always alert with what was going on around him and appeared when needed. Good relief player for Casemiro.

Nacho - 7: Unfortunate for defender to be the fourth choice centre back but regardless, his skills are needed. Did well to help move the ball forward with Kroos and came up with good man marking alongside Varane when needed. Trying to redeem himself of his mistakes from earlier in the pre-season it seems.

Luka Jovic - 5.5: Not sure this was the right formation to have Jovic play in. His positioning in the box was okay but the striker does not have the fluidity on the ball to put all that space to good use. Had a good opportunity to grab a goal himself and was able to beat the defenders to it but should have been put in the back of the net.

Lucas Vazquez: 6: Was another one who had a quiet game tonight in Austria. Coming on with 15 minutes left, Vazquez was supposed to help add energy to the squad and while he did for the first few minutes, he fizzled out quickly. Again, not much to say here.

Vinicius Junior - 7: Tried to make an immediate impact on the pitch and was successful. Used speed to drag defenders wide and played with Marcelo and Vazquez. Still can’t find his finishing skills though...could have put one or two away himself.

Alvaro Odriozola - 6: Used his speed to help put another body in the box alongside Jovic, Vazquez and Vinicius Junior but wasn’t putting up the best crosses. Somewhat neglected his defensive duties as well, could have been better.