Vinicius protests a referee’s decision during the Clásico.
/ Enric Fontcuberta / EFE
Without Mbappé, with Tchouaméni and Courtois, Álvaro Arbeloa set up his starting XI to salvage the scant remaining pride after a season defined by defeats both on and off the pitch.
Real Madrid were unable to field their biggest star, who left the final training session before the clásico still troubled by a hamstring injury. Tchouaméni started despite the incident involving Valverde, which resulted in a €500,000 fine for both players. According to Real Madrid, the Uruguayan suffered a traumatic brain injury that ended his season.
Arbeloa opted to start Gonzalo up front, a player he has barely used despite his specific center-forward profile.
Related news: The Real Madrid “nursery” turned into a powder keg – the Tchouaméni-Valverde fight is not an isolated case.
Tchouaméni and ten others – Real Madrid’s lineup against Barcelona for the La Liga EA Sports matchday 35 clásico.
Asencio, another player who has fallen out of the coach’s plans, was a last-minute starter to replace Huijsen, who was injured in the warm-up. Courtois made his first appearance since the injury that sealed Real Madrid’s season, and they were no match for a Barcelona side that partied throughout the match. These ratings are the result of a total disaster.
**5 – Thibaut Courtois (Goalkeeper) – Committed**
The Belgian started at the Camp Nou, which is no small feat on a team where players disappear at the slightest trouble. He did so without being in top form, as shown by the step that prevented him from doing anything against Rashford’s missile, though he later saved a one-on-one. He did the same against Ferran.
**2 – Trent Alexander-Arnold (Defender) – Leaky**
With a corridor behind him, Cancelo and Fermín exposed him repeatedly. He was lucky to make a couple of interceptions because he still retains some speed, but his lack of judgment was terrible.
**2 – Antonio Rüdiger (Defender) – Beaten**
A reflection of the state of this Madrid team. He resorted to long balls and pushes to try to bail water against a Barcelona side that drove him crazy, not because of his nickname. He struggled greatly with Ferran’s mobility.
**2 – Asencio (Defender) – Erratic**
He started at the last minute ahead of Huijsen and would have preferred not to. In the play leading to Ferran’s goal, he is seen walking as if the match had nothing to do with him. A player who showed he was lucky to find himself in a system-free Madrid under Ancelotti, when it was already on the verge of collapse. One mistimed action sparked a scuffle.
**4 – Fran García (Defender) – Focused**
One of the few who took a clásico seriously. Alert in his tackles while his teammates created an indecipherable tangle of coverages. He joined the attack to deliver several crosses into nowhere. They usually don’t work out, but even worse was the lack of a finisher.
**1 – Tchouaméni (Midfielder) – Lost**
He should not have started. Even if Madrid wanted to downplay the serious incident with Valverde, the Frenchman had his head elsewhere. He was even bothered by his undershirt in the heat. To make matters worse, he was a poor loser by not congratulating Barcelona players.
**2 – Eduardo Camavinga (Midfielder) – Pitiful**
The problem with this player is that his ill-timed fouls and lack of judgment are a constant. He received a yellow card for arriving late to a duel with Olmo. His turns, which seemed in slow motion, condemned him to losing possession.
**3 – Jude Bellingham (Midfielder) – Shipwrecked**
In a Madrid where the midfield doesn’t exist, the Englishman has to find his own space. He hasn’t managed it all season. He complained.