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Real Madrid Player Ratings vs. Racing: Mbappe’s Emphatic Statement to Ballon d’Or Snub

Jude Bellingham and Yan Diomande also impressed in a contest wrapped up in less than 45 minutes.
Grey Whitebloom|
Kylian Mbappé finished a close second to Harry Kane in the Ballon d’Or.
Kylian Mbappé finished a close second to Harry Kane in the Ballon d’Or. | Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images

After finishing a painfully close second to Harry Kane in Monday’s Ballon d’Or voting, Kylian Mbappé reminded everyone who was Real Madrid’s No. 1 with the first goal in a 3–0 procession against Racing Santander on Sunday.

Mbappé won the penalty that he promptly converted to kickstart the saunter to all three points, peeling away to pointedly celebrate in front of the nearest camera with a single extended index finger. The disappointed Frenchman would at least end the weekend as a winner, with a Jude Bellingham run from halfway and a spectacular effort from Yan Diomande concluding a first-half romp which had the game sewn up long before the halftime whistle.

There was frustration from the stands of Racing’s atmospheric home ground as VAR overturned a second-half penalty awarded by referee José Luis Munuera. But the game would be defined by Mbappé’s response to his personal disappointment from a few days earlier.

The Moment That Defined the Match

Real Madrid scoring.
Real Madrid were gifted some goals. | La Liga

Racing Santander manager José Alberto López promised that his side would maintain their furiously aggressive approach to pressing high up the pitch when hosting Real Madrid at El Sardinero. “Courage does not mean recklessness,” he warned. Against Real Madrid in this sort of form, it often does.

Since overturning a 3–1 deficit against Roma in the Champions League last month, Real Madrid have clicked. Strolls to victory over Sevilla and RB Leipzig were followed by a magnificently managed masterclass against Barcelona straight out of the José Mourinho playbook.

Faced with the best pressing side in Europe, Madrid bided their time, soaked up the pressure and struck twice to walk away with a cathartic win. Racing, for all López’s enthusiasm, do not inspire the same fear as Barcelona and played into Madrid’s hands.

Mbappé laid the ball off to Arda Güler from inside the center circle and Madrid’s Turkish technician didn’t even need to perfectly weight his pass into the path of Bellingham: He had the entire opposition half at his mercy. Racing had pushed up so recklessly high in their attempts to hunt down the ball that Bellingham had the freedom of Santander to stroll through on goal, rounding the helpless gloved figure of Julen Agirrezabala before stroking Madrid into a 2–0 lead.

If the match had not already been decided by Mbappé’s soft penalty in the 11th minute, Bellingham’s goal soon after robbed any jeopardy from the contest.

Real Madrid Player Ratings vs. Racing Santander (4-2-3-1)

*Ratings provided by FotMob*

GK: Thibaut Courtois—7.1: It wouldn’t be a Real Madrid match without another example of Courtois’s unrivaled reflexes.

RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold—7.8: After a week of transfer speculation, Alexander-Arnold rewarded Mourinho’s faith in his talent with a probing performance after being given the entire right flank by Güler.

CB: Ibrahima Konaté—7.0: Did his best to look troubled on a mercifully routine afternoon.

CB: Dean Huijsen—7.5: Played forward with an infectious sense of verticality.

LB: Marc Cucurella—7.9: Gave his opposite winger, the young Iker Luque, a lesson in the dogged demands of elite level soccer.

CM: Aurélien Tchouaméni—7.7: The biggest impact Tchouaméni left on Sunday’s encounter was the bruise on a small child’s forehead from his powerful and wayward shot.

CM: Bernardo Silva—7.2: Ferreted around the field putting out fires while they were still just flickering embers.

AM: Jude Bellingham—9.0: It’s sometimes hard to confirm that there is only one Bellingham on the pitch at any given time.

RW: Arda Güler—8.5: Given license to descend from his perch on the right wing, Madrid’s creator-in-chief picnicked happily in the open space Racing were willing to afford him.

ST: Kylian Mbappé—8.9: There is a sharpened arrogance to the way Mbappé plays at times like these, fully aware that he is simply faster, smarter and stronger than any opponent unfortunate enough to come into his orbit. The Ballon d’Or runner-up was even worked up enough to actually defend (for a bit).

LW: Yan Diomande—8.5: As much as his spectacular goal will steal the headlines, the enthusiasm with which Diomande tracked back must also have pleased his manager.

SUB: Brahim Díaz (67’ for Güler)—6.2

SUB: Eduardo Camavinga (77’ for Bernardo)—6.3

SUB: Endrick (85’ for Diomande)—6.2

Subs not used: Andriy Lunin (GK), Sergio Mestre (GK), Álvaro Carreras, Antonio Rüdiger, Denzel Dumfries, Éder Militão, Thiago Pitarch, Carlos Espí.

What the Ratings Tell Us

  • When previewing his opponents, Racing boss López warned that “every player in the team is a genius.” Bellingham certainly fits into that category, covering every blade of grass with a burning sense of endeavor that can distract from his technical excellence.
  • There is an impish brilliance to Güler, who was a right winger in name only, floating all over the pitch to prod at the loose stitching of Racing’s rearguard.
  • Aside from a brief moment of complacency at the start of the second half, the most telling aspect of Madrid’s performance was their hunger, be it hunting after the ball, darting into the final third or simply scurrying across to take a throw in.

The Numbers That Explain Real Madrid’s Easy Win

  • Mbappé has now scored against all 24 La Liga clubs he has faced since joining Real Madrid a little over two years ago. No one is safe with the Frenchman lurking.
  • Racing had as many shots in the first 10 minutes of the second half as they managed across the entire opening half of the contest (three), highlighting how Madrid briefly switched off.
  • Thanks to little more than a scowl from Mourinho poking his head out from the dugout, Madrid promptly bucked up their ideas and denied Racing a single shot on target after the 13th minute.

Statistic

Racing Santander

Real Madrid

Possession

46%

54%

Expected Goals (xG)

1.15

3.45

Total Shots

10

22

Shots on Target

1

7

Big Chances

0

4

Pass Accuracy

85%

89%

Fouls

10

8

Corners

4

6

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Grey Whitebloom
GREY WHITEBLOOM

Grey Whitebloom is an Associate Editor for SI FC. He has more than half a decade of experience in sports media across all its various guises, from the fast-paced demands of news articles and match reports to in-depth research required for features. Whitebloom graduated with a First Class Honours from University College London and found himself named on the Dean’s List—which, despite his initial fears, was a form of praise rather than a punishment. He specialises in the Premier League and Champions League, while also boasting an extensive track record of La Liga coverage.

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