La Real conquered a splendid victory, possibly decisive to catch a well-deserved place in the Champions League. Kubo scored the first, although it was Silva who established the differences with his silk game, and Barrene finished off the job, who points to a great footballer. Imanol’s team is the best of those chasing the big three, and there is no discussion about it. Madrid repeated the sins of Montilivi, with Militao once again carpeting the defeat with an inappropriate mistake for a professional defender. Reflection of a disconnected team, which is ending the League in the worst possible way. Pulido Santana, who had forgiven Militao a penalty, ended the game by expelling Carvajal in a ridiculous way. They see things that the rest of us can’t understand.
Minutes after the consummation of Barcelona’s victory, Madrid jumped into the Reale Arena with little to gain. Four days before the Cup final, Ancelotti recomposed the eleven to compete without Benzema, Vinicius and Camavinga. Mariano entered at the top, a natural and infrequent solution, while Nacho occupied the left-back and Rodrygo, the winger. His favorite place. He showed it from the first balls, citing Gorosabel and looking for him inside. In that sector the game startedwith Remiro intervening with two good hands before shots from Tchoaumni and Militao.
La Real took a few minutes to start, but it is a team similar to Madrid. Suffer without the ball and enjoy with it. With Zubimendi, Merino and Silva marking the times and projecting to the wings, the Txuriurdin team generated several notable arrivals, with a shot from Sorloth blocked by Militao, a drop from Oyarzabal to Silva in the area that went high, a shot from point blank range from Zubimendi, forced, one meter, to the crossbar, and a prodigious foot from Courtois, a handball goalkeeper, after Silva’s shot. More and better than their opponent, as befitted the team that put more at stake. The Champions, neither more nor less,
In that maelstrom that the VAR has generated, especially in recent months, a new chapter was opened with Pulido Santana, who saw a fall from Oyarzabal up close after being tripped by Militao. The Brazilian stuck out his leg and intercepted Mikel, and the referee must have interpreted that the striker exaggerated the contact. There was no going back from the VAR room, with the consequent anger from the staff. Either there is an order to cut the balance of maximum penalties or it is difficult to understand, because dozens have been whistled for much lesser contacts. It is what it is.
The first half slipped away evenly, with no clear chances beyond a header from Militao that went off near the post. With Merino ordering the pressure and controlling the traffic in the center of the field, warned by the referee for accumulation of fouls, Madrid had a hard time getting out of their field. After the break, the game broke up in the same place as Montilivi’s. By Military. As if tormented by the debate as to whether he is the best centre-back in the world, the Brazilian behaved like a discreet defender by throwing a cut at the start against Sorloth and throwing a stone at Courtois, converted into a goal pass for Kubo. They should invent assists on their own goal. Like the goals.
That Madrid was not fine is evident. But the game was blown up with another stellar performance by the referee. He charged Carvajal with a yellow card after suffering a continued grab from Oyarzabal and not sanctioning him with a warning. Like Vinicius with Cuadra. Well the same. Only seven minutes later the full-back took a chance on a cross, arrived earlier and the referee whistled for a foul. In principle, he assured that it was not a reason for the card. Then, who knows if after receiving some advice through the earpiece, he took out the second yellow. Carvajal left indignant, with Nacho and Chendo trying to avoid greater evils in their protests. It is not the same to miss the Cup final than the next game of a lost League.
In superiority and with changes to refresh the team, the ball was from San Sebastian. Ancelotti, who had been left with the change of Lucas for Carvajal just before the expulsion, withdrew Kroos thinking of Osasuna. Before, he had withdrawn an inoperative Mariano to give Álvaro minutes. Beyond an excellent start by Rodrygo, well blocked by the blue and white help, Madrid found nothing but frustration. Ancelotti took another yellow for protesting, because everyone knows that that is more serious than a grab that cuts a counter. Barrenetxea’s goal sealed a fair victory for Real and a more than deserved defeat for Madrid, whose League after the World Cup is very deficient. They have the Cups to straighten out the season.
