Elche 1-2 Real Madrid: Player ratings as Vinicius Junior brace guides Los Blancos past spirited hosts | La Liga 2021-22

Real Madrid overcame a spirited ten-man Elche side 2-1 in La Liga to return to winning ways. Vinicius Junior was at the double, scoring once in each half before Pere Milla pulled one back for the Franjiverdes following a sloppy pass from Casemiro.

After drawing goalless to Osasuna in their last game, the pressure was on Los Blancos to win, as their lead at the top was cut after last weekend's fixture. However, they stepped up to produce a fine performance against Elche.

The hosts did manage to ruffle Madrid's feathers with an uncharacteristically dangerous attacking game. But Los Blancos managed to stand firm to take all three points on the night.

Thibaut Courtois was called into action more often than not. But he held firm to keep Elche at bay until a mistake from Casemiro in the 86th minute opened things up at the back.

Casemiro saw a pass come off Dario Benedetto's head. He then played it into the path of Milla, who finished easily beyond the Belgian after going one-on-one with him.

Unfortunately, there was no late flourish for Elche, as Real Madrid held on for the remainder of the game to walk away with all three points. On that note, here are the player ratings for Real Madrid:

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Thibaut Courtois - 7/10

He was kept busy by Elche's surprisingly menacing offensive plays. He held them out until late on when a sloppy pass in midfield allowed them to pull one back, with Courtois left exposed.

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Lucas Vazquez - 7/10

It was a lively attacking performance from the Spaniard. Vazquez made a lot of promising runs forward, and linked up well with his attacking colleagues.

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Eder Militao - 7.5/10

He was rock-solid at the back. Militao showed excellent positional awareness, and made some key tackles to thwart Elche's movements.

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David Alaba - 8/10

Alaba is wasting no chance to prove his worth to Real Madrid, producing another talismanic performance in defence. He kept things tidy at the back, and also audaciously showed up in the striker's position a few times.

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Marcelo - 6.5/10

The Real Madrid captain looked well off the pace, struggling to cope with Elche's high press. He lost possession 13 times in the game.

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Toni Kroos - 7.5/10

Real Madrid's driving force in midfield, Kroos looked to get his side forward with delicious long balls. He also provided a creative spark with his ingenuity.

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Casemiro - 7.5/10

Before his sloppy pass that led to Elche's goal, Casemiro had a flawless game. He created Real Madrid's first goal of the game with a sublime cross-field pass.

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Luka Modric - 8.5/10

His work rate was exemplary as always, hustling for the ball and spraying passes in all directions. Modric set up Vinicius for Madrid's second goal with a simple yet beautiful flick-on.

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Rodrygo - N/A

He had a good game, posing a huge threat from Real Madrid's right flank, but an unfortunate injury curtailed his evening.

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Mariano Diaz - 6.5/10

He assisted Vinicius for Real Madrid's opener with an effortless backheeled flick. But he couldn't build on that, going largely anonymous for the rest of the game.

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Vinicius Junior - 8.5/10

The Brazilian continued his sterling run of form with another double, producing two glorious finishes. He wasn't called up for Brazil's squad by Tite, though.

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Ratings of Real Madrid substitutes against Elche

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Marco Asensio - 6/10

He replaced the injured Rodrygo early on and looked dangerous, but Asensio faded as the game wore on.

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Daniel Carvajal - 6.5/10

It was a decent cameo from the Spaniard who drove forward with purpose. His crosses, though, weren't always accurate.

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Ferland Mendy - 6.5/10

He passed the ball around well, and didn't put a foot wrong in defence.

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Eduardo Camavinga - N/A

The Frenchman didn't have much time to impress, but demonstrated his game awareness, and made one key pass.

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Eden Hazard - N/A

Coming on for the final ten minutes of the game, Hazard remained a mute spectator, failing to impact proceedings for Real Madrid.