ANDhe Real Madrid settled their duel against Espanyol as if it were a Champions League rehearsal. Since the whites usually don’t like facing laps with an advantage, Joselu’s early goal forced Ancelotti’s team to row to stay afloat in the League. He did it with the lifeguard Vinicius, showing the way with a goal similar to that of Anfield, coming back before the break and suffering until the end, with Espanyol competing until the end. Asensio clinched the duel in an impressive start from Nacho from the left side. Excessive in defense and overflowing in attack, there should be no doubt with the 6 for the duel against Liverpool.
And it is that Camavinga’s experiment on the left side should expire after the trial against Espanyol. He is a child, he does not complain and does what he can, but he lacks defensive fundamentals, such as measuring long balls. So it happened. After an early warning from Braithwaite blocked by Militao, a magnificent service from Sergi Gómez surpassed the winger z super, Rubn Sánchez looked for the diagonal and put a tense pass to Joselu, who had escaped from Militao. An effective shot against Courtois was enough, but the Galician put her in the squad, perfect. A surprise that 0-1 at 8′ that could be doubled after a quarter of an hour in a free kick launched by Darder that Vinicius, the parakeet, headed point-blank at the far post. Courtois pulled out the impossible and avoided having to scale a wall.
Thibaut’s miracle, so usual now, woke up the whites, with that cut and sew double pivot Tchouamni-Kroos. Little by little, Madrid increased the intensity and settled in the Espanyol field, retreating into their 4-1-4-1 with Braithwaite as a left-footed outsider. The intensive dominance of Ancelotti’s team presented two problems, the lack of footballers in the area to guide the attacks and the almost unique solution of Vinicius. Valverde puts everything except finesse, which will come, and Rodrygo is not a player to set centrals. The fact is that from persisting so much on the left the tie fell through the traditional method: Ball to Vini and let him resolve. He did it by drawing the diagonal to find an angle, feinting to lay down rivals and crossing next to the post. Like the one at Anfield. Good way to warm up engines for Wednesday.
Real Madrid’s statement on the Negreira Case, a couple of hours before the game, puts the referees in the spotlight as well as Barcelona. Figueroa Vzquez, whose service sheet was recalled in the club’s official media, took half an hour to piss off Bernabu, after showing Vinicius a yellow card for an irrelevant little foul. The Brazilian threw himself to the ground, desperate. The problem with an arbitration under suspicion is that what was previously understood as a ruling is now interpreted as intentional. In full effervescence, in the disorder produced by a corner kick, Tchouamni attacked the space on the extreme left, hit a temperate cross with the outside at the far post, imposing, which Militao crowned with a header to the squad. Complete comeback, but for the record that Ancelotti went to the locker room asking the Andalusian referee for explanations for Vini’s card. With what the Italian is investing in taming Junior.
Espanyol returned from the locker room convinced that the matter was not resolved. He gave Darder more freedom and the ball, that is, a guarantee of good management of the attacks. He looked for the right wing, with Rubn Sánchez looking for more good crosses. Carvajal took a good one, and in a corner Cabrera had a clear shot, but it fell to his weak leg. Total, that it took Madrid a while to get back to work, in those voltage drops that penalize it so many times. He regained control and roamed the opponent’s area, without generating clear goal options. As usual, the changes took their time. Maybe because of the tight score, or because of little faith in replacements. Asensio entered first and then Rdiger and Ceballos. The weight loss of the Spaniards is striking, in the midst of the renovation process. Diego Martínez also changed, putting in more people with touch. Denis Surez entered, in striking platinum, and Aleix Vidal, another good centerer to look for Joselu. In the absence of linked plays, Rodrygo had a good option from set pieces, placing his shot on the crossbar, and since the score was open, the tension rose by the minute.
He had minutes again, very few, Álvaro, and VInicius left. Espanyol did not string together more attack plays, but Madrid did. He came from the left, where Nacho covered Camavinga’s march to the middle. From the side, the man from Madrid started diagonally past his rivals and served to Asensio, who he solved like a professional. The stands acclaimed Nacho, also with the future at forward, while Marco gave Valverde the fourth, blocked by Pacheco. The stands speak. Madrid does its part of putting pressure on LaLiga and clarifies matters for the Champions League. Owner Nacho.
