From a rough night, Real Madrid extracted a small collection of luminous moments. Villarreal had a match in waiting that led to an exchange of clashes and brawls that intensified as Ancelotti's team increased the advantage and showed that it is now capable of performing in any register, from ballroom dancing to agitation. neighborhood. A match that began at a low pace had something of all that, but under which the incident between Valverde and Baena in the stadium parking lot during Villarreal's visit last season throbbed. That factor soon disappeared, with the injury of the Roquetas de Mar footballer, but disagreements and disputes appeared in many other corners. Madrid overcame all of this to become the leader after its last game of the year at the Bernabéu, waiting for what Girona does this Monday in Montilivi against Alavés (9:00 p.m., Movistar). They are seven points away from Barça and eight from Atlético, who have one game less.
4
Andriy Lunin, Alaba (Nacho, min. 34), Rüdiger, Lucas Vázquez, Ferland Mendy (Fran Garcia, min. 45), Federico Valverde, Jude Bellingham (Dani Ceballos, min. 78), Modric, Kroos (Aurelien Tchouameni, min. . 78), Rodrygo and Brahim Diaz (Joselu, min. 83)
1
Jorgensen, Alfonso Pedraza, Adrià Altimira, Albiol (Jorge Cuenca, min. 45), Mandi, Álex Baena (Ramón Terrats, min. 28), Ilias Chakkour (Trigueros, min. 74), Capoue, Parejo, Gerard Moreno (Sörloth, min. 45) and Morales (Ben Brereton, min. 78)
Goals 1-0 min. 25: Jude Bellingham. 2-0 min. 37: Rodrygo. 2-1 min. 54: Morales. 3-1 min. 64: Brahim Diaz. 4-1 min. 68: Modric.
Referee Jorge Figueroa Vázquez
Yellow cards Adrià Altimira (min. 67), Ilias Chakkour (min. 73), Aurelien Tchouameni (min. 83) and Capoue (min. 85)
He even overcame the emotional impact of Alaba's injury, which seemed serious on the field. Seeing him on the ground after his left knee twisted, Modric called the doctors and put his hands to his head, a gesture that was repeated in a chain by those who approached and saw the Austrian's signs. With Militão also out with a knee, the team is left with only two healthy centre-backs. But at the moment it seems that everything is working for Ancelotti. Whatever happens.
Already at this point in the course, when not even half of the calendar has been completed, and despite the variations in the system and the bandwagon of fallen, Madrid plays with the security of those who trust in all their resources, no matter how new they may be. , however improvised they may seem. It happened again against Villarreal. More armed with Marcelino, their third coach of the season, they gathered behind them to wait for a more favorable moment of the night to run and do damage. But the moment did not arrive, because Ancelotti's battalion had the ball. And if he lost sight of her for a moment, he launched himself determinedly after her. So much so that Jörgensen suffered two big scares in his area shortly after starting.
Madrid played, played, played, with Modric released everywhere, happy against a contemplative opponent and a flowing ball. The development of this passing exercise did not seem too threatening, but suddenly Bellingham would appear and push forward, or Rodrygo would throw himself down the hill looking for another slalom. The spice was there, hiding behind the appearance of slowness. But that's how Madrid has played some afternoons, little by little raising the temperature of the boiler. Until the prize arrives.
In this, the flag continues to be carried by Bellingham, who in this phase of an established team does not need extreme interventions. His life as he arrived in the area already passes according to patterns that can be followed almost blindly. To open the scoring, he began a sequence that was reminiscent of Brahim's goal against Granada. He crossed a pass from left to right to Lucas and went into the box. The full-back left it to Modric, who with a touch that he could have executed with his eyes closed, made a kind of floating delivery to the point where the Englishman had reached. The shot showed another still unknown Bellingham record, that of a header capable of turning a falling feather into a projectile. The ball arrived almost dead, he jumped back and, already in the air, he hit a powerful header powered by his abs. It was his 17th goal of the season, 13 of them in the League.
The goal barely changed the script, which was overshadowed by the forced withdrawals of Baena and Alaba, but which was moving towards the same outcome, starting with a goal from Rodrygo after a small mess in the area after a corner. The Brazilian lives in another world: after 11 games without scoring, in the next 11 he scores nine goals.
Villarreal showed a brief stretch of rebellion in which Morales was successful in a one-on-one with Lunin, who returned Kepa to the bench. But neither that nor the sustained abruptness dampened Madrid's inspiration, which responded with a Brahim fantasy: control with a reverse in the center of the field, advance to the area, final cutback to Cuenca and goal. The stadium was on, the team was on, still chasing every ball, until Rodrygo stole, they knocked him down with something that looked like a penalty, but it wasn't because Modric managed to score the fourth. Another happy moment in an angry and disturbing night due to Alaba's injury, and which also left the hopeful return of Tchouameni, who fell in the classic.
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