Liverpool and Real Madrid played out an exhilarating game at Anfield in the Champions League this evening, with two players' performances standing out for different reasons.
Alexis Mac Allister opened the scoring for the Reds shortly after half-time, combining nicely with Conor Bradley before slotting beyond Thibaut Courtois in the Los Blancos goal. After Kylian Mbappe and Mohamed Salah both missed penalties, the Merseyside outfit doubled their lead, with Cody Gakpo rising highest to emphatically head home from Andy Roberston's pinpoint cross.
Carlo Ancelotti's side were unable to mount a comeback, meaning Liverpool retain their place at the top of the Champions League table, and continue their excellent start to the new season. At the heart of Arne Slot's team's exceptional showing was Ryan Gravenberch, who outshone his counterpart Jude Bellingham, and the statistics certainly reflect this.
Gravenberch and Bellingham Stats Compared
The Liverpool man contributed more
ryan gravenberch liverpool
After a mixed debut campaign in the north-west, Gravenberch has settled at Liverpool this term, deployed as the Reds' deepest midfielder under Slot. Starting every single game under his compatriot, Gravenberch has established himself as one of the most accomplished number sixes in the Premier League, and showcased his talents under the lights at Anfield tonight against the Galacticos of Real Madrid.
Directly tasked with dealing with Bellingham, the Netherlands international shut the Englishman down. Bellingham was allowed just one shot, completed no dribbles and accumulated just 0.06 expected assists. This peripheral attacking performance from the 21-year-old was largely a result of Gravenberch's dogged defensive work, with the Liverpool star making two tackles, two interceptions and three ball recoveries.
Gravenberch's excellence extended beyond what he did out of possession. On the ball, the 22-year-old dictated the tempo of the game, completing 92% of his passes, and making seven successful passes into the final third.
Liverpool vs Real Madrid, Ryan Graveberch vs Jude Bellingham Stats
Evidently essential to Liverpool's ball progression and the Reds' ability to control long stretches of the game, Slot will have been delighted with his midfield metronome's display. Conversely, Ancelotti would've been left frustrated by Bellingham's lack of influence.
The ex-Birmingham City man completed 87% of his passes, but also managed 27 fewer successful passes than Gravenberch. Bellingham also lost possession 13 times, in comparison to Gravenberch's six, encapsulating what was a lacklusture and meek showing from the former.
Overall, SofaScore awarded Bellingham with a 6.8 rating, with Gravenberch awarded a 7.2 for his efforts. While the latter wasn't rated as highly as some of his excellent teammates who produced more note-worthy moments, he outshone a blunt Liverpool front three, while Bellingham was pipped by Courtois, Eduardo Camavinga and Federico Valverde, despite almost the entire Real Madrid team underhwelming.
Statistical Comparison (Liverpool vs Real Madrid)
Stat
Match Rating
Touches
Accurate Passes
Key Passes
Shots
Successful Dribbles
Possession Lost
Tackles
Interceptions
Clearances
Dribbled Past
Van der Vaart Claims Gravenberch is Better than Bellingham in 'Every Way'
"Especially physically"
Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham in action with Liverpool's Andrew Robertson and Ibrahima Konate
While Bellingham's stock generally remains higher than Gravenberch's, the gap between the two players has certainly narrowed this season. The Liverpool player has grown in maturity and is providing a platform for his team to produce impressive result after impressive result. Meanwhile, Real Madrid's form has dipped this campaign, and Bellingham has lost his goal-scoring prowess from last season.
One man who claims Gravenberch is actually the superior player is former Tottenham and Netherlands midfielder Rafael van der Vaart. The retired player turned pundit said back in April 2023, before the two players' completed moves to Liverpool and Real Madrid:
"I think Gravenberch is better than him, in every way. Especially physically. "
Speaking to BetMGM in September, Van der Vaart insisted that he stands by this claim:
"I took quite a lot of stick when I said Ryan Gravenberch has the potential to be better than Jude Bellingham a year or so ago, but I stand by it. I’ve always said the sky’s the limit for him if he can use his full potential and ability. I’m not surprised by how good he’s been this season both for Liverpool and the Netherlands."
On the basis of tonight's performance, Van de Vaart certainly could have an argument. Gravenberch looked significantly more refined in his game, and managed to impact a match of such magnitude more meaningfully than Bellingham.
All Statistics via SofaScore - correct as of 27/11/2024
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