In a tense match, Real Madrid just about overcame Real Valladolid 2-0.
Los Blancos are off to a winning start under interim manager Santiago Solari, but what did we learn?
Winner: Vinicius Junior
Last year, Real Madrid paid an absurd €30m before he had even turned 18, before he had even played a minute of professonal first-team football. The deal screamed of desperation, but Madrid were desperate to secure the “next big thing” of Brazilian football, having missed out on Neymar back in 2013 when he chose to join Barcelona.
That put an obscene amount of pressure on Vinicius Junior to deliver once he joined Madrid this summer. And sure, to start with, it didn’t look like he was going to live up to the hype. In many ways, he still hasn’t and probably won’t be able to. But what we saw against Valladolid was a sliver of genius, after notching two assists against Melilla in the Copa del Rey, he followed that up by getting one vs. Valladolid.
Well, sort of. Vinicius won’t leave the field with a goal or assist but his presence changed the game for Los Blancos. He added a touch of intense and drive to Madrid’s style of play, and it was his cross that got turned in for the own goal that gave Madrid the lead when they didn’t look like breaking through at all. His bowing celebration was a bit much, but this kid has got a bright future.
Loser: Kiko Olivas and Fernando Calero
How unlucky can you be? Kiko Olivas had been part of an impressive Valladolid resistance at the Santiago Bernabeu. Playing at the heart of defence, Olivas repelled countless Madrid attacks and helped keep his side’s clean sheet. But when Vinicus Junior sent a cross in, Olivas turned to block the ball with his back (careful to keep his arms out of reach) only for the cross to hit him and rocket into the back of the net.
Suddenly all of Olivas and fellow centre-back Fernando Calero’s hard work had been undone. But they could still get an equaliser. Well, they would have felt that until Karim Benzema fell over Calero’s outstretched leg and the centre-back simply couldn’t move it in time (having senselessly pushed it out nanoseconds before). Penalty Madrid, dispatched in style, and game over.
All of Valladolid’s hard work, undone in two mad seconds.
Winner: Sergio Ramos
Since Madrid’s awful run of form began, they had kept just one clean sheet (against Atlético Madrid, in a game that felt like Atleti could win if they had really tried to) and looked an utter shambles at the back. Every side that attacked Madrid looked like they could score.
Except Valladolid didn’t. And alright there was a slice of luck with them hitting the woodwork, but Sergio Ramos put in an impressive defensive display next to Nacho and rookie Sergio Reguilon, helping to keep Madrid’s sheet… clean. What’s more, when there was a chance to settle things from the penalty spot, Ramos stepped up and impetuously lifted the ball into the net with a nerveless Panenka.
Loser: Gareth Bale
Oh boy, what happened here? With Cristiano Ronaldo long gone, Gareth Bale was supposed to be the main man at Madrid. Yet bar a brief run of goalscoring, Bale has been not just profligate but outright poor. Bale hasn’t been demanding the ball, hasn’t been penetrating with the ball, hasn’t been doing much of anything, really.
This was really evident against Real Valladolid, with Bale failing to establish himself and stamp his authority onto the game. The terrifying physical skill-set he possesses was nowhere on display at the Santiago Bernabeu, neither was the incredible big match aptitude that has seen him score in Clásicos and Champions League finals (that’s finals, plural!). Bale was hooked off after 71 minutes, replaced by Lucas Vázquez as whistles rang around the Santiago Bernabeu. Oh dear.
Winner: Santiago Solari
Sometimes it’s better to be lucky and good. Santi Solari has fallen backwards into the Real Madrid job much as Zinedine Zidane managed to; after the previous first-team manager was fired far too early for problems largely out of their control.
Zidane never really looked like a good coach in a tactical sense; his great skill was in his sublime man-management that motivated his players to thrive in big games. For the most part his side was sloppy and lucky – but they got that luck at the perfect moments, so they won big trophies, and Zidane got to leave on his terms with an unimpeachable reputation.
That is the road Santi Solari is currently walking as Madrid coach. Two games, two wins. And in the game against a first division side today, they were hugely lucky. Valladolid gave as good as they got, hit the bar twice, and in the end only conceded to an absolutely brutal deflection and a penalty. If Solari can maintain that level of good fortune, Los Blancos could have another winner.
Loser: Atlético Madrid
Yesterday, Atlético Madrid were five points ahead of Real Madrid and had a chance to extend that gap to eight before Madrid played Valladolid. As it turns out Los Blancos would have closed the gap back to five anyway, but the fact is that Atleti once again failed to take advantage of a chance given to them.
Leganés are struggling down in the bottom half of the Liga table, yet they held Atleti to a draw at home today despite going one goal down (which used to be a death sentence against Diego Simeone’s men). The end result of the day’s play? Atleti are just three points ahead of Real Madrid and Los Blancos are now surely over the worst form of their season.
All that woe for Madrid, and yet they are now just one game back from their hated rivals. Diego Simeone’s men need to take a long, hard look at themselves because they aren’t taking advantage of what is probably their best chance of winning La Liga since they did so in 2013/14.
The post Real Madrid 2-0 Real Valladolid: Winners and losers from Solari’s first La Liga game in charge appeared first on Squawka News.
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