Full match player ratings:
Thibaut Courtois—8: Called upon early in the game to make two crucial saves — one from a Hugo Duro volley and the other from an Andre Almeida header. Made a total of four saves in the match, with Valencia producing eight shots on the night.
Lucas Vazquez—4: Switched off on the goal conceded and failed to track Hugo Duro at the back post.
Tchouameni—7: Won 7/8 ground duels and all six of his aerial duels. Carried the ball well out of the back and looked more assured in the center-back role.
Antonio Rudiger—6: A quieter game from Rüdiger, who got stretched thin on a couple of occasions, including in the final sequence of the game when Rioja nearly equalized.
Ferland Mendy—5: Made little impact both offensively and defensively. Managed just a single tackle on the night — no clearances, interceptions, or blocked shots. Provided zero threat in the final third, often playing the safe lateral pass.
Dani Ceballos—6: The double pivot of Fede and Ceballos was stretched thin in the first half due to an erratic and disjointed pressing scheme. Improved in the second half along with the rest of the team.
Fede Valverde—7: Worked tirelessly on both sides of the ball but failed to harness the best of his long-distance shooting despite taking four shots on the night.
Jude Bellingham—9: The leader of this team — Jude Bellingham has been the team’s best player all season and stepped up tonight with an assist and a game-winning goal in the 95th minute. Both the assist and the goal came after a missed penalty, a testament to his attitude and resilience on the pitch.
Rodrygo—4: Had zero impact down the right flank — a poor start to 2025 after a good run of form in December.
Vinicius Junior—5: Played through in the first half with an opportunity that the Brazilian is expected to convert. Foolishly pushed Valencia goalkeeper Dimitrievski (albeit lightly and after initial contact from Dimitrievski) and received a red card. Lost his head and nearly cost the team.
Kylian Mbappe—5: Scored what would have been the first equalizing goal, but it was disallowed for a marginal offside. Outside of that moment, he was quiet and showed little movement in the first half.
Substitutions:
Luka Modric—8: Scored the equalizing goal in the 85th minute with a composed finish, becoming the oldest goalscorer in Real Madrid history.
Brahim Diaz—7: Won the ball high up the pitch to kickstart the sequence leading to Madrid’s equalizing goal.
Eduardo Camavinga—7: Far outperformed Mendy’s impact from the left-back position despite playing just 25 minutes.