Eibar stunned Real Madrid 3-0 at the Ipurua Municipal Stadium on Satuday as Santiago Solari’s stint as full-time boss started in ignominious fashion
There were ominous signs early on as Eibar took the game to their visitors, who did look promising in the early exchanges. Indeed, the deadlock was broken by Jose Luis Mendilibar’s men on a swift counter-attack, as Marc Cucurella bombarded down the left flank before cutting in for Kike, whose shot was saved well by Thibaut Courtois.
But, the rebound fell to Dani Ceballos, whose attempted clearance ricocheted off Gonzalo Escalante and into the Real Madrid goal. Eibar continued to pose a threat, while clear-cut chances came few and far between for Los Blancos, who continued to trail by the slim margin heading into half-time.
But, the visitors’ problems deepened beyond repair within the first 12 minutes of the second half. Eibar first doubled their advantage in the 52nd minute as Cucurella snatched the ball off Alvaro Odriozola before squaring the ball for Sergi Enrich, who made no mistake in slotting past Courtois.
Five minutes later, the game was effectively put to bed, with Cucurella involved once again. The Barcelona loanee’s cut-back found Enrich once again, who deflected the ball towards Kike, who scored from close range to make it 3-0.
FT: @SDEibarEN 3-0 @RealMadrid (Escalante 16', Enrich 52', Kike García 57').#RMLiga pic.twitter.com/AkVcFgrTbF
— Real Madrid C.F. ???? (@realmadriden) November 24, 2018
Real Madrid did enjoy the bulk of the possession in the final half an hour, but could never apply the finishing touches as the game ended in an embarrassing defeat for them. With Santiago Solari beaten for the first time while in-charge of the first-team, The Hard Tackle runs the rule over his players.
Thibaut Courtois: 7/10
Goalkeepers do not usually get such a high rating after they concede three goals. But, Courtois was the sole reason why the scoreline wasn’t downright embarrassing for Real Madrid. The Belgian shot-stopper made a stunning fingertip save to keep the scores level early on.
Made a super stop to deny Kike but couldn’t have done anything for the rebound. Not at fault for the next two goals either. But, Courtois kept the score at 3-0 as he made two outstanding saves to thwart Charles and Fabian Orellana.
Alvaro Odriozola: 5/10
Odriozola had been one of the in-form players under the early days of Solari’s reign, which meant he kept his place ahead of the fit-again Dani Carvajal. But, the youngster did not justify his selection as Marc Cucurella constantly kept him on his toes.
Was beaten by the Barcelona loanee for each of the first two goals, and rather easily at that. To rub salt into his wound, Odriozola then picked up an injury before being taken off for Carvajal in the 53rd minute.
Raphael Varane: 4/10
Back into the side after an injury layoff, much was expected of Varane. But, the Frenchman continued from where he had left off before being sidelined – a shell of his domineering self. While he did cover up for Odriozola at times, the World Cup winner looked uncertain on occasion and was at fault for losing his marker for two of the goals that Eibar scored.
Sergio Ramos: 3/10
It had already been a torrid week for Sergio Ramos, who had been embroiled in rumours suggesting he had failed multiple doping tests. And, it went from bad to worse for the Real Madrid captain, who was shaky for the most part in a game that largely passed him by.
Showed poor marking for two of the goals that Eibar scored, wasn’t nearly as dominant as he usually is in the air and his passing was sloppy as well. All in all, a week to forget completed for Ramos.
Marcelo: 6/10
One of the few players who actually acquitted himself well to some extent on Saturday. Marcelo was, by far, the most creative outlet for Real Madrid, although his passes did not always reached the target man. Did not see a lot of action on his flank at the back, with Cucurella dominating possession on the opposite side. More positives than negatives for the Brazilian.
Luka Modric: 4/10
Much has been made of Modric’s poor form at the start of the season, after he did not get a great deal of rest in the summer. The Croat did nothing to allay the doubts surround him as he produced another uninspiring performance. Failed to affect the tempo of the game and also picked the wrong pass at times. The first to be taken off and one wonders when Modric will finally be dropped.
Dani Ceballos: 5/10
With Casemiro unavailable, Ceballos was chosen to fill the void in the middle of the park, surprisingly in a deeper role than he is usually accustomed to. The Spaniard did not disappoint for lack of trying, but he clearly lacks the tactical nous to play as the holding midfielder, as evidenced by how easily Eibar overran him in midfield.
Unlucky that his clearance ricocheted into his own net. Marcos Llorente would perhaps, have been a more realistic replacement for Casemiro.
Toni Kroos: 5/10
Like Modric, Kroos did nothing to help Real Madrid control the proceedings, although that can also partly be chalked down to the German international not receiving enough support. Played his part in conceding one of the goals as a horrible long ball unnecessarily put Odriozola under intense pressure.
Gareth Bale: 4/10
Bale is another player who seems to be an ever present in the Real Madrid first-team setup despite doing precious little to vindicate his selection. The Welshman was lively during the early exchanges but faded quite quickly after a couple of chances. Denied the space in the final third, his end product was severely lacking, and he looked increasingly frustrated as the match wore on.
Karim Benzema: 6/10
The only other outfield player who managed to give a good account of himself to an extent on Saturday. Benzema ran himself into the ground on and off the ball and looked like the brightest prospect for Real Madrid all afternoon.
Came the closest to scoring for the visitors, but his shot was cleared off the line. Caught offside too many times for liking, though (four in all).
Marco Asensio: 4/10
It has been a horrible season for Asensio, who has essentially replaced Cristiano Ronaldo as a regular starter in attack. But, the difference between the two has been like chalk and cheese, with the Spaniard failing to assert the required impetus while charging forward. His passing was found wanting as well and there is a lot of room for improvement.
SUBSTITUTES
Dani Carvajal: 5.5/10
Forced on after Odriozola picked an injury, Carvajal was certainly much improved than his compatriot, particularly in the final third where he presented himself as an outlet. But, like Odriozola, the returning Spaniard had his hands full with Cucurella as well. Should start against AS Roma, however.
Isco: 5/10
On for Modric, Isco did not do anything to improve Real Madrid’s fortunes, practically continuing in a similar fashion as the Croat.
Vinicius Junior: 5/10
Vinicius got 15 minutes to make an impression, but his first touch was nowhere near his high standards. But, he cannot exactly be judged by this performance, considering the game was already lost.
