Real Madrid Player Ratings vs. Alaves: Los Blancos End Dismal Spell With Little Fanfare

After a catastrophic run of form in April, Real Madrid finally got back to winning ways with a 2–1 win over Alavés on Tuesday evening.

The 15-time European champions were greeted by a chorus of whistles from the sea of white shirts at the Bernabéu following their Champions League elimination last week. Álvaro Arbeloa's men kept their heads down and got to work, looking to secure their first victory since returning from the March international break.

Kylian Mbappé opened the scoring in the 30th minute after his shot from just outside the box took a heavy deflection on its way into the back of the net. Vinicius Junior then added yet another sensational goal from distance to his catalog in the 50th minute to make it 2–0.

Real Madrid switched off in the later stages and allowed Toni Martínez to score a consolation goal in stoppage time, prompting more boos from the home crowd. Still, the three points momentarily dwindled the gap between them and Barcelona to six points, ahead of the Catalans' match on Wednesday.

The Problem That Won't Go Away

On paper, Real Madrid's victory looks like exactly what the team needed. They won their first game in a month, and both Mbappé and Vinicius Jr got on the scoresheet. Arda Güler and Federico Valverde picked up assists as well, making it seem like a solid all-around victory.

Yet there were still major causes of concern that likely won't be solved unless changes are made this summer. The team has now conceded in nine straight La Liga matches and continues to look rather stagnant in the final third.

Arbeloa's men had zero shots on target in the first 30 minutes against a team just above the drop zone. Mbappé's opener was the first of the night, and that only went in because of a wicked deflection. Vinicius Jr doubled Real Madrid's lead after the restart, but that goal was simply an individual piece of magic.

Once again, the team needed to rely on luck and Vinicius Jr pulling a rabbit out of a hat to get on the scoresheet. Trent Alexander-Arnold, Güler and Jude Bellingham created chances that should have been finished off, but their fellow players in white lacked the end product when it mattered most.

Something has got to give with this Real Madrid attack, or else the team will once again have no chance of winning a major trophy next season.

Real Madrid Player Ratings vs. Alavés (4-4-2)

*Ratings Provided by FotMob*

GK: Andriy Lunin-7.6: Lacked confidence in the early stages and made two unconvincing saves. Grew into the game and looked more assured as the clock ticked on, yet still could not keep his first clean sheet of the season.

RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold-7.5: Had free license to roam down the right flank without having to worry about defending. Tried his luck at goal on several occasions, but couldn't bury his first in a white shirt.

CB: Éder Militão-7.5: Denied a goal by the crossbar, but immediately had to be subbed out of the game due to injury. Walked off on his own power.

CB: Dean Huijsen-7.8: A mature outing. Cool-headed and composed inside his own area. Helped hold Lucas Boyétozero shotsand made several critical blocks to deny Alavés a goal.

LB: Álvaro Carreras-7.7: Rarely tested defensively, but when he was, he was easily beaten. Never looked overly comfortable when he needed to get back in transition.

RM: Federico Valverde-8.1: Sharp going forward all night long and got rewarded with an assist on Vinicius Jr's goal. Torched former Castilla product Yusi down the right with ease.

CM: Jude Bellingham-6.9: Did an excellent job dropping deep when needed to pull the strings of the attack and then surging forward to crash the box when the opportunity called. Rightfully looked displeased when he was taken off just before the hour mark.

CM: Aurélien Tchouaméni-7.0: Brought some much-needed stability back to Real Madrid's midfield. Played on an island, which allowed his three fellow midfielders to push forward with freedom, knowing he had them covered.

LM: Arda Güler-8.4: His early season connection with Mbappé was back on display. He set up the Frenchman's opener and spent the rest of his night looking to do so again. Silky on the ball.

ST: Kylian Mbappé-8.8: Needed a lucky deflection to score, but he won't mind. Found little success in stints when he drifted to the left wing. Had some uncharacteristic misses, including a failed attempt to chip the keeper when he was through on goal.

ST: Vinicius Junior-8.9: Whistles rained down every time he touched the ball, and he didn't give the fans much reason to change their tune until after the restart, when he scored a brilliant long distance goal.

SUB: Antonio Rüdiger (45' for Militão)-6.4: Caught flat-footed on Alavés' consolation goal.

SUB: Franco Mastantuono(58' for Güler)-6.4: Desperate to create a moment of magic, but came up short.

SUB: Brahim Díaz (58' for Bellingham)-6.5: Missed a great opportunity to finish off a sensational ball over the top from Rüdiger.

SUB: Eduardo Camavinga(63' for Tchouaméni)-5.9: Failed to anchor the midfield like his fellow countryman did.

SUB: Dani Carvajal(63' for Alexander-Arnold)-6.3: KeptToni Martínez onside to ruin Real Madrid's clean sheet.

Subs not used: Sergio Mestre (GK), David Alaba, Ferland Mendy, Fran García, Dani Ceballos, Thiago Pitarch, Gonzalo García.

What the Ratings Tell Us

• Arda Güler is no longer just simply holding Jude Bellingham's place in the midfield. The Turkish youngster has done more than enough to prove he deserves a place alongside the Englishman in the XI. He tallied his 14th assist of the season on Tuesday and continues to show just how dynamic a playmaker he is, especially when Bellingham drops deep into a more central role.
• Vinicius Junior finally broke his goalscoring drought and found the back of the net for the first time since March 22. Despite scoring a fantastic goal, his celebrations were subdued and seemingly consisted of an apology to the Bernabéu for another disappointing campaign. Question marks remain over his stalled contract negotiations, and debate will continue to rage until he rediscovers the consistency of his 2024 season.
• Alarm bells surely sounded down in Brazil when Éder Militão asked to be subbed out just before halftime with an injury. Initial reports indicate it was just a precaution, though, and there doesn't seem to be a major cause for concern.

The Numbers That Explain Real Madrid's Much-Needed Win

• Real Madrid managed zero big chances against a team with just eight league wins this season. Despite completing 569 passes, the Spanish giants failed to generate many truly threatening chances that tested Alavés goalkeeper Antonio Sivera.
• The visitors mustered a 2.11 xG, higher than Los Blancos' 1.63xG. Once again, there are question marks about the best way to get the most out of the individual stars in white.
• Arbeloa's men took their foot off the gas at the end of the game and allowed Alavés to send shot after shot at Andriy Lunin. In the end, the relegation-battling side mustered 19 shots at the Bernabéu.

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This story was originally published April 21, 2026 at 2:58 PM.