Alaves 1-4 Real Madrid, Player Ratings: Kroos runs the show as Madrid get back to winning ways
Real Madrid got back to winning ways on Saturday with a convincing 4-1 victory over Alaves in La Liga.
Following defeats in the Spanish Super Cup and Copa del Rey, Zinedine Zidane’s side would have been desperate to prove they could turn their season around and get back to applying pressure to city rival Atletico at the top of the table. And that’s exactly what they did.
Alaves v Real Madrid: Player Ratings, Match Stats, Player Stats
✔️ GOOD PERFORMANCE
Eden Hazard: 8.0
One of the biggest issues at Madrid this season has been the unfortunate form of Eden Hazard, so it would have come as a huge relief for fans of the Spanish giants to see the Belgian forward look back to his best against Alaves.
The wide player had scored just one goal all season prior to Saturday’s match, so to not only score one but also provide the assist for a second went a long way to suggesting Hazard was undoubtedly getting back to his best. And that could prove to be a huge bonus for Madrid as they look to get their season back on track.
Karim Benzema: 9.0
One of the few positives in Real Madrid’s season thus far has been the impressive form Karim Benzema has shown despite now being 33 years of age. The French striker has shown no signs of slowing down and on numerous occasions has spurred his side on with his goalscoring. Saturday’s win over Alaves was no exception.
Although the senior forward didn’t open the scoring, he did strike just before half time when he picked up a pass with little hesitation and fired an unstoppable shot into the top left corner of the Alaves net.
The French international then doubled his tally for the night in the 70th minute of the game, when he picked up an exquisite pass from Luka Modric and smashed the ball inside the right post with his signature, clinical touch.
⭐ STAR MAN
Toni Kroos: 9.2
With just one goal and one assist in his last 10 games for Madrid, Kroos was due a stand-out performance for Zidane’s side and against Alaves the German international finally did that by showing exactly what he can offer at the top of his game.
Not only did Kroos control the game with his expert passing and control of the ball but he also picked out Casemiro with a fantastic cross just 15 minutes into the game to open the scoring. And if that wasn’t enough, the central midfielder also picked out Eden Hazard just before the break to make it 3-1.
Alaves v Real Madrid: Player Ratings, Match Stats, Player Stats