La Liga | Granada 1-4 Real Madrid | Real Madrid Player Ratings

Real Madrid cruised to a 4-1 victory over Granada, who were reduced to ten men.

In the first half, Asensio broke the deadlock, with Nacho sending in a second off the bottom of the crossbar before Asensio’s effort was cleared off the line.

Suarez equalised with a deflected shot shortly before halftime.

Monchu was awarded a straight red for a nasty tackle on the Brazilian, which also resulted in Robert Moreno getting sent off, before Vinicius scored a tap-in to make it 3-1.

Mendy then finished it off with a bang late in the game.

Madrid now leads the standings ahead of Real Sociedad’s match later today, and they are unbeaten in their past seven games in all competitions.

The next time they play in the Champions League, they will face Sheriff.

With the loss, Granada falls into the relegation zone, and they face Athletic Bilbao next week.

Real Madrid Player Ratings

Starting XI

Courtois (7.5) – With Suarez’s deflected shot, he had no chance and was otherwise as trustworthy as ever, protecting the 4-1 advantage with a superb late stop.

Carvajal (7.5) – Given Asensio’s proclivity for ignoring defensive responsibilities, he fared admirably, with five ball recoveries and seven clearances.

Nacho (7) – He was unlucky with the expensive deflection, but he defended tenaciously for the most part – and finished effectively to give his team the lead.

David Alaba (8) – On multiple times, he read the game brilliantly and showed excellent speed to stay alert and cover his teammates, cutting out the danger of Granada breakaways and crosses.

Mendy (8) – He came up big in the fourth quarter to make it 4-1, and he was a rock on defence as always.

Casemiro (7.5) – When Real lost possession in the build-up to Granada’s goal, he was slow to protect his back four, although he was otherwise available to screen his teammates, making six defensive interventions.

Luka Modric (8.5) – Throughout the game, he played with great enthusiasm and precision, finding out small pockets of space and proving crucial to Los Blancos’ dangerous build-up play. To present Vinicius with an open goal for Real’s third goal was incredibly selfless.

Toni Kroos (9) – In possession, he is typically neat, methodically constructing play and moving his team upfield. Real’s first goal was set up by a magnificent ball through to Asensio, while the second was set up by quick-thinking and clinical playmaking. MOTM

Marco Asensio (8.5) – With savvy movement, superb feet, and generally assured play, he was his side’s biggest threat. Under Ancelotti, he’s been given a fresh lease on life, and he rightfully scored the game’s first goal.

Karim Benzema (8) – With his elusive positioning and progressive link-up play, he made an enormous influence in the build-up to Madrid’s third goal.

Vinicius Jr – (8) – In advanced areas, he appeared to be extremely dangerous, his lightning footwork and directness continuously alarming the defence. He was sloppy in the build-up to Granada’s goal, but he made amends by scoring the visitors’ third goal.