Real Madrid player ratings vs Man City: All over for Xabi Alonso? Kylian Mbappe-less Blancos left to rue Antonio Rudiger error as Champions League loss leaves manager on the brink

Real Madrid turned in a solid performance but made some key defensive mistakes to suffer a 2-1 home loss to Manchester City in a Champions League loss that will put further pressure on Xabi Alonso. Los Blancos took the lead, but threw it away and were unable to mount a second half comeback to drop their second game in a row.

The game simmered for the first 30 minutes. Madrid thought they had a penalty early when Vinicius was tripped by Matheus Nunes - but VAR ruled that the foul was outside the box. Otherwise, the home side were happy to dig in and defend. Los Blancos were rewarded for their rearguard efforts after 28 minutes, though, with Rodrygo giving them a 1-0 lead thanks to a tidy finish from a tight angle.

But City charged back. They got their first off a corner. Thibaut Courtois spilled the initial effort and Nico O'Reilly tapped home the loose ball. The second came from the spot. Antonio Rudiger dragged Erling Haaland in front of a gaping net. Haaland appealed. VAR determined he was fouled. The Norwegian dutifully finished from 12 yards.

Madrid had a clear chance immediately in the second half, but Jude Bellingham lifted over with the goal gaping. There were further looks, too. Vinicius had two of them, putting a free header wide before volleying over off a corner. But they simply couldn't find an equalizer - and Alonso could be in trouble.

GOAL rates Real Madrid's players from Santiago Bernabeu...

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Goalkeeper & Defence
Thibaut Courtois (6/10):
At fault for the first goal, made some vital saves after, but was beaten from the spot.
Federico Valverde (5/10):
Had a rough time against Doku, and didn't get forward loads. Can't be faulted for his effort, though.
Raul Asencio (5/10):
Absolutely torched by Jeremy Doku. Won his headers but was burned in transition over and over.
Toni Rudiger (5/10):
Gave away an entirely meaningless penalty, and never looked particularly steady at the back. Should have picked up a second yellow.
Alvaro Carreras (8/10):
Immensely effective. Shut down his wing and scampered forward down the left.

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Midfield
Dani Ceballos (6/10):
A surprise inclusion. Brought in for some midfield control but never really got in the game.
Aurelien Tchouameni (6/10):
Effective when the game slowed down but was complete torched on the break a few times.
Jude Bellingham (6/10):
Allowed to be the main man in midfield. In on all the action and very impressive... until he missed a sitter.
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Attack
Rodrygo (8/10):
Handed a start on the right. Then moved to the left. Absolutely excellent throughout, both as a goalscorer and creator.
Gonzalo Garcia (6/10):
A bit mixed. Did well as a focal point at times, but didn't get involved enough. Can't be blamed.
Vinicius Jr (6/10):
Never stopped running at his man, but City doubled up on him effectively. Missed a couple of good chances, too.

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Subs & Manager
Arda Guler (6/10):
A decent 30 minutes, but never fully got involved.
Brahim Diaz (6/10):
Barely had a kick.
Endrick (N/A):
No time to make an impact.
Xabi Alonso (5/10):
Oversaw a pretty good performance, but this is a results based business and Madrid should have gotten one here. Can he survive another week?

Goalkeeper & Defence

Midfield

Attack

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Subs & Manager