Elche 1-1 Real Madrid, Player Ratings: Modric still shines

11:39pm on Wednesday 30th December 2020
By Stefan Bienkowski

Zinedine Zidane’s Real Madrid side ended a rather dismal 2020 in fitting fashion with a drab 1-1 draw away to Elche.

Not only did the result bring an end to a six-game winning streak for Zidane’s side, but it also means Madrid’s city rivals Atletico will now welcome the new year with a two point advantage and two games in hand.

So who performed on the night and who let their side down? Let’s take a look at the player ratings.

Elche 1-1 Real Madrid: Player Ratings, Match Stats, Player Stats

✔️ GOOD PERFORMANCE

Edgar Badia: 7.3

Although Madrid will undoubtedly question where their attacking intent went missing throughout this clash against Elche, it’s worth noting that Zidane’s side managed 11 chances on goal and five shots on target.

Whether it was Lucas’ shot in the 58th minute, Modric’s in the 62nd minute or Daniel Carvajal’s drilled, short-range effort towards the bottom left corner in the 71st minute, Elche goalkeeper Edgar Badia was constantly on hand to thwart the visitors.

Over the course of the match Badia made no less than five saves and it goes without saying that the hosts wouldn’t have won a hard-earned point if not for their keeper.

❌ BAD PERFORMANCE

Karim Benzema: 6.0

Much of Madrid’s issues against Elche came down to the fact that French striker Karim Benzema simply wasn’t up to the task of putting the ball in the back of the net on the night.

Despite having four touches of the ball in the Elche box, Benzema managed just one blocked shot over the course of the 90 minutes.

If that doesn’t suggest just how uninvolved Benzema really was over the course of the game, it’s also worth noting that the only Madrid player that made fewer touches through the game was Thibaut Courtois.

⭐ STAR MAN

Luka Modric: 8.3

In a match that was entirely devoid of any attacking intent from Real Madrid, Zidane will be counting his blessings for the performance Luka Modric put in throughout this difficult away match.

The Croatian midfielder was on hand in the 20th minute when he rose higher than any nearby opponent and headed home a rebound that went straight into the top right corner, despite the best efforts of the Elche goalkeeper.

Indeed, no Madrid player hit more shots than Modric on the night and none hit more shots on target either. In a game that the capital side will happily forget in a hurry, it’s undoubtedly worth noting that the 35-year-old midfield maestro was once again on hand to at least salvage a point.

Elche 1-1 Real Madrid: Player Ratings, Match Stats, Player Stats