Player Ratings: Athletic Bilbao 0 - 2 Real Madrid; 2023 La Liga

Real Madrid secured an important 2-0 win away in San Mames against Athletic Bilbao to open the La Liga season.

Full match player ratings below:

Andriy Lunin—8: Aggressive and confident off his line — Lunin actively stepped out to intercept crosses and corners. Defense in front of put in a tremendous shift to keep shots at bay. Still work to do with the ball at his feet.

Dani Carvajal—8.5: A great performance from the captain. Combined with Rodrygo on the opening goal and was constantly combining with Fede, Rodrygo, and eventually Modric. Finished the game with 5 completed tackles, 3 interceptions, and won 6/7 ground duels.

Eder Militao—7: Played well during his 50 minutes on the pitch but concern goes to his knee as most fear an ACL tear.

David Alaba—8.5: Goal-denying clearances, progressive passes (3 key passes), hit the post with a header off a corner, and a vocal leader.

Fran Garcia—4: A poor first half full of nerves with heavy touches, rushed decisions, and mis-placed passes. Improved in the second half and finished the game with 6 completed tackles.

Tchouameni—8: Earned his start from his great preseason performances and continued his fine form into the La Liga season. His passing was sharp and crisp, often weighted the pass to the receiver’s stride and on their front foot. Won all his aerial duels, 5/5 long balls, and had 3 completed tackles.

Fede Valverde—7: Produced two long distance shots that nearly found the back of the net. His off ball work ethic was evident on both sides of the ball, both offensively and defensively.

Eduardo Camavinga—7.5: His best performance in a Real Madrid shirt as an interior central midfielder (a #8), showing his talent on both sides of the ball. Had 4 completed tackles, was fouled 4 times, 1 key pass, and 1 completed dribble.

Jude Bellingham—9: Is there anything the Englishman can’t do? What a performance and what a debut in La Liga. Scored Madrid’s second goal, but was more impressive with his silky dribbling, crunching tackles, threaded through-balls, and all the ground he covered.

Vinicius Junior—6.5: Unlucky not to score on the night with a couple good opportunities. Had 3 completed dribbles, but attempted nine.

Rodrygo—6.5: Limited touches (31), but scored the go-ahead goal and still managed 2 key passes. Will want to be more involved going forward.

Substitutions:

Toni Rudiger—7: Brought great energy and intensity when coming on to replace Militao.

Toni Kroos—6: Bizarrely was not deemed a foul when Kroos lost the ball in Madrid’s half and nearly gave Belenguer an opportunity to score 1v1.

Luka Modric—7: Combined with Carvajal and Joselu for a great opportunity, but his left footed shot did not have enough power to get by Unai Simon.

Joselu—5: Played the last 10 minutes and only had 9 touches. Part of a combo play with Modric and Carvajal that nearly led to a goal.