Okay so here’s how I tackled that whole Dortmund vs Madrid player ratings thing after the Champions League final. Started off simple enough – grabbed my laptop and a cold beer around 7 PM, ready to watch the match live.
Setting Up My Messy Tracking
Right before kickoff, I opened two windows on my screen. One had the live stream playing. The other had a completely basic Excel sheet I made earlier. It just had player names for both teams down the left side and some column headers like “Passing,” “Shots,” “Defensive Work,” and a final column for “Temp Rating.” Not fancy at all.
Watching the game was intense! Honestly, the first half flew by. I was scribbling quick notes like mad on a piece of scrap paper next to my keyboard. Stuff like “Adeyemi big miss early,” “Kroos pass finding everyone,” “Carvajal header YES!” and “Kobel save massive.” My phone had the official stats page open too, refreshing for stuff like distance run and pass completion rates, but only when I remembered to look.
Post-Game Brainstorm
When the whistle blew and Madrid won, I sat for a few minutes just letting it sink in. Then I grabbed my scribbled notes and tried to make sense of them.
This part was messy:
- Looking back at specific moments – like Vinicius Jr causing constant trouble.
- Checking my phone for those stats – seeing Kroos completed like 96% of his passes made me nod.
- Trying to remember Thibaut Courtois’ big saves – felt like he needed high marks.
- Debating with myself in my head about Mats Hummels – solid mostly, but that goal where he got turned? Oof.
Started putting numbers in my “Temp Rating” column. Forced myself to pick a number between 1 and 10 for each starter and key subs. Was tough! Nearly gave Carvajal a 9 just for the goal, but had to think about his whole game.
The Crunch Time (And Doubts)
Once I had all the players roughly rated, I looked across the board. Thought, “Man, Kroos bossed it.” Saw my Excel had him at 8.5, Carvajal at 8.5, and Nacho maybe an 8? Something felt off about giving three Real players that high. Checked some stats again, watched a few highlight clips people were posting. Yeah, Kroos felt right. Carvajal maybe too? Doubts crept in.
Almost cried when looking at Dortmund’s Sabitzer. My note said “worked hard, missed a decent chance.” Gave him a 6.5. Felt harsh? Maybe. But also felt like the others stood out more. Maatsen’s mistake for Vinicius… that hurt to put down as a 5.5. Finalized the numbers, even though my gut said some were arguable.
Exported the Excel sheet as a simple list. Wrote a quick intro: “Here’s how I saw them all.” Pasted the player names and my ratings. Tried to add one short sentence for a few players explaining the main reason (like “Courtois: Crucial saves when needed” and “Adeyemi: Pace terror, finishing let him down”). Didn’t overthink it. Copied and pasted it into my post editor.
Pushed publish before I could change my mind again. My ratings? Courtois solid at 8, Carvajal maybe surprising some at 8.5, Kroos the clear standout at 9. Dortmund… mostly 6s and 7s, Kobel probably highest at 8. There. Done. Wonder who will agree?