The Spanish forward squandered several promising opportunities, and their team’s key player was unable to make a significant impact on the match.

Joselu cannot shoulder the entire blame for Real Madrid’s struggles against Rayo Vallecano. However, when Carlo Ancelotti assesses his options, the 33-year-old striker is tasked with the challenging role of being the game-changer, and on Sunday, he squandered opportunities, symbolizing his team’s difficulties as they settled for a frustrating 0-0 draw.

Nonetheless, he wasn’t the sole culprit. Federico Valverde had an early chance but was denied by Stole Dimitrievski, who read his shot well. Joselu himself came close before the halftime, only to have his close-range effort thwarted after an inventive setup by Vinicius Jr. Moreover, Bellingham struck the crossbar, concluding a rather vexing first half for Los Blancos.

They maintained the pressure after the break, with Joselu missing again via a diving header. Vinicius had a goal disallowed after Joselu was caught offside in the build-up. Despite amassing 22 shots, Real Madrid couldn’t find the back of the net, leaving them trailing Girona by two points in the title race.

Goalkeeper & Defense

Kepa Arrizabalaga (6/10):

Had little to do in the match. It’s always good to maintain a clean sheet, but the real action was happening at the opposite end of the field.

Dani Carvajal (6/10):

Displayed regular runs down the right flank but failed to venture into advanced areas often enough to make a significant impact on the game.

Antonio Rudiger (6/10):

Demonstrated good ball distribution and effectively contained Rayo’s forwards. Weathered a late offensive push from Radamel Falcao and Bebe. Unfortunately, a needless late booking means he’ll miss Madrid’s next match due to suspension.

David Alaba (6/10):

Showed marked improvement following a subpar performance against Barcelona. However, there is room for improvement in his delivery from set pieces.

Fran Garcia (6/10):

Given a starting role despite recent shaky performances. Successfully pushed forward and established connections with Vinicius. Demonstrated increased effectiveness when not burdened with extensive defensive duties.

In the midfield:

Eduardo Camavinga (6/10):

Commenced as a defensive midfielder due to Aurelien Tchouameni’s absence. Performed well in his defensive role and maintained the flow in the middle.

Federico Valverde (6/10):

Missed a significant opportunity in the opening half, which ultimately proved pivotal. Otherwise, he made an impact, utilizing his speed and work rate on the right side to create problems.

Luka Modric (6/10):

Impressed when he had possession, although those instances were not frequent enough. Fatigue became evident after an hour, and his limited starting appearances have affected his form.

Jude Bellingham (6/10):

Endured a scare after an awkward landing on his shoulder. Displayed a splendid piece of skill and nearly broke the deadlock with a shot in the first half. However, he encountered difficulties getting involved in the game afterward.

In the attack:

Joselu (5/10): Had a close nod wide in the initial half, missed another chance in the second, and mistimed a run that resulted in a disallowed goal. His performance as a backup fell short of expectations.

Vinicius Jr (6/10): Demonstrated excellence when faced one-on-one, but his final pass was inconsistent. He frequently had to take on the entire defense single-handedly. A goal in the second half was correctly disallowed, making it a frustrating outing for him.

Substitutes and Manager:

Rodrygo (5/10):

Entered the match with 20 minutes remaining, displaying considerable running effort but also losing possession frequently.

Toni Kroos (5/10):

Attempted to distribute the ball effectively after coming on, but some of his passes were unusually off-target.

Nacho (N/A):

Came in late as a defensive reinforcement, with limited time to make a notable impact.

Carlo Ancelotti (5/10):

Opted to bench Rodrygo in favor of Joselu and handed Garcia a start against his former team. However, the sizable Spaniard’s contribution was ineffective, and Real Madrid struggled to find their rhythm. It was a challenging and frustrating outing for the Italian manager.