FC Sheriff Tiraspol stunned Real Madrid when the European Football returned to Bernabeu. The visitors scored a dramatic late winner to upset the hosts.
The Moldovan champions won by a scoreline of 2-1, with Yakshiboev and Sebastian Thill scoring for the visitors and Benzema netting a penalty for the home side. The debutants have solidified their position on the top of group D.
Yuriy Vernydub’s men were concrete defensively, with Danilo Arboleda being their main man at the back, who made some decisive blocks. FC Sheriff Tiraspol continues their dream debut campaign in the Champions League and an unbeaten streak in all competitions.
Los Blancos dominated the possession throughout the game but were not productive enough in the opening period. The host registered 31 shots, but only 11 of them were on target.
Real Madrid had their moments but could not make the most of it. The majority of the attacking threats of Real Madrid were blocked by the black wall, which was ever-present in the penalty area. Ancelloti will have to solve the defensive issue of the team after yet another disappointing performance. Blancos failed to maintain their undefeated streak in all competitions after a shocking defeat at home.
Here are our Real Madrid’s player ratings from the game against FC Sheriff:-
Thibaut Courtois: 5
Courtois did not have much to do in the game as only 3 shots came his way. The Belgian couldn’t do anything for the beautiful strike by Thill.
Miguel Gutierrez: 5.5
Miguel made his first UCL start tonight but was not effective on the left and was out of position for the opening goal. The youngster was caught on the breaks by Traore several times. Gutierrez did whip in some crosses but was not reliable defensively.
David Alaba: 6
The Austrian was solid at the back and made many vital interventions to stop Sheriff from the counterattack. Alaba showed his great strength in 1v1 situations against Yakshiboev and also whipped in some delicious crosses.
Eder Militao: 5.5
Militao had great chances to score in both halves. The Brazilian made some crucial blocks at the back to get the team out of danger.
Nacho: 5.5
The Spaniard played on the right this time. The Spaniard could have scored in the first half when his strike flew away from the goal. Nacho went forward on numerous occasions but was caught defensively.
Eduardo Camavinga: 6
The Frenchman made his debut for Real Madrid in UCL. Camavinga was actively involved in the opening moments. The 18-year-old tried to find his teammates infront but got blocked by solid defense. Camavinga also played as the left-back when Miguel got benched.
Casemiro: 5.5
The Brazilian was not at his best and did not offer much defensively. Casemiro tried to score from a distance in the first half, but his shot got saved by Giorgos Athanasiadis.
Federico Valverde:7
The Uruguayan put in a great shift on the right of midfield. It was yet another tireless performance by Valverde and helped both defensively and offensively to the team. Valverde also missed a goal by a whisker in the opening half.
Vinicius Junior: 7
Vini was very influential on the left and was one of the standout performers for the home side. The Brazilian also won the penalty because of his brilliant footwork. Vinicius had a couple of instances to score but lacked finishing.
Karim Benzema: 6
Benzema scored an emphatic penalty to register the only goal for Real Madrid. The Frenchman was good on the ball but missed several opportunities. The No. 9 has now scored in 17 successive Champions League seasons.
Eden Hazard: 6.5
The Belgian was lively throughout his time on the pitch. Hazard linked up with Benzema on multiple occasions but could not find a way past Athanasiadis.
Substitutes:
Luka Modric: 6
Modric tried to wide open the visitor’s compact defense after coming in the 66th minute. The Croatian had a great chance in front of the goal but got his shot blocked by the goalkeeper’s face.
Rodrygo: 7
The Brazilian was brilliant on the right-wing and was actively involved after replacing Nacho. Rodrygo whipped in a great cross to Jovic in the dying minutes, but it was not converted.
Toni Kroos: 6
The German sniper made his comeback into the team after a long break due to injury. Kroos was precise in his passing and looked to create chances for other players.
Luka Jovic: 5
It was another disappointing performance from Jovic in front of the goal. The Serbian international missed a glorious opportunity to take the lead from Rodrygo’s cross.
