2014 Champions League Final, Real Madrid Vs Atlético: Player Ratings
Iker Casillas: C- Atlético took the lead thanks to Casillas. It's cruel but that's just what happened. He looked hesitant all night long and almost gave Atleti another goal in overtime. Sadly, it's not like he was required to do a lot. Thankfully, he was up there in the end to lift the Décima. Dani Carvajal: B Great first half by Dani. He looked shaky at times, especially on defense, but he was all over the place and looked like his energy just wasn't going to run out. Raphael Varane: A The French looked really solid all night long. He was a brilliant replacement for Pepe. Great on the aerial game as well. Sergio Ramos: A+ What else can you say about Sergio? The guy was our MVP in the final stretch of the season and he was the hero of the day once again. He destroyed Bayern and gave Atlético a devastating blow to keep Madrid alive when we needed him the most. Never die, Sergio. You are the man. Fábio Coentrao: B+ He was replaced not because he wasn't good. He was solid on defense and during the first minutes he looked like our most intense player, especially in recovery tasks. Sami Khedira: C You could tell he wasn't 100%. Ancelotti's man to take Xabi Alonso's place, over players like Illarramendi, Sami did his best but simply wasn't ready just yet. Luka Modric: B+ Surprisingly, his accuracy wasn't there in the first half. He improved a lot in the second half. Not his best game by any means, but his effort was always there, looking for the ball trying to help set the pace and find the best lanes for his teammates. Ángel Di María: A+ Di María, who already had a terrific season, saved the best for last, being Real Madrid's best player (together with Ramos) once again. His epic effort in overtime resulted in Bale's winning goal. Spectacular year for Di María. Gareth Bale: B+ It didn't look good for the man who broke Bartra in the Copa del Rey final as he wasted two great chances during regular time. Then, much like he did against Barcelona, he stepped up when he was needed the most. His header was simply brilliant and ended up being the game-winning goal. Not an easy play at all but he solved it perfectly. So happy to have him as a Real Madrid player. He's destined for greatness. Cristiano Ronaldo: B+ Harassed for the entire 120 minutes, he tried all-night long but wasn't very successful. To be honest, it wasn't a good match for him but his impact was still there. The ref didn't call a penalty after his shot was deflected by the elbow of an Atléti player. Destiny saved a sweet moment for him with a PK in the end. He earned at least that much. Now, he finally helped Real Madrid win La Décima and I personally couldn't be happier for him. Karim Benzema: B Every single Real Madrid attacker struggled tonight thanks to a fantastic defensive display by Simeone's men. Benz wasn't 100% either, but the effort was there. In the end, he deserved a lot more, but his energy ran out and had to be replaced. Marcelo (Coentrao, 58'): A Marcelo played probably his best game as a Real Madrid player. The Brazilian not only offered a set of fresh legs, but also new ideas and ways to hurt Atlético. He was absolutely fantastic and even got to score the 3-1. Isco (Khedira, 58'):: C Not his best match but Atlético's bus had a lot do with it. Still, the accuracy and ideas just weren't there tonight. Álvaro Morata (Benzema, 78'): C Morata, who's a lot more limited than Benzema, struggled just as much as the French striker. It simply wasn't a comfortable game for any striker. Carlo Ancelotti: B+ His choice to replace Alonso didn't work but he made the substitutions he needed at the right time and at least one of those (Marcelo) worked really good for him. He kept his team motivated, with the aid of Zinedine Zidane, and in the end, the team got a well deserved win.
