Madrid (AFP)

Real Madrid escapes the worst! Two of Sergio Ramos' and Casemiro's life-saving heads helped Zinedine Zidane's team to close two goals behind Club Brugge (2-2) on Wednesday in the Champions League, preserving their chances in Group A.

Two weeks after his inaugural defeat in Paris (3-0), the club with 13 coronations in C1 was humiliated in front of his public by finding himself 2-0 after two blocks by the fast Nigerian striker Emmanuel Dennis (9th, 39th).

But Real knew he already had no joker. And in a stifling atmosphere, Ramos (55th) and Casemiro (85th) saved the furniture for the "White House", but failed to complete this "remontada" with a third goal.

Result: the big Real (a single point in two games) is in a delicate situation in his pool before the double confrontation with Galatasaray on October 22 and November 6, which could be crucial for the European future of the merengue team, never eliminated in the group phase in the history of modern C1.

We thought the Real cured of the humiliation inflicted by the PSG? In front of his public, the "White House" fell back into his straits in the first half, appearing as disoriented as in eighths last spring during the elimination against Ajax Amsterdam (2-1, 1-4).

- Shy whistles -

This time, the opponent was Belgian and he was hit on two ultra-fast counterattacks and a little gag.

On the first, the Nigerian Emmanuel Dennis scored a strange double-contact apparently involuntary while the goalkeeper merengue Thibaut Courtois had pithily slipped (9th), an action validated by the video arbitration (VAR).

Then the Golden Ball Luka Modric lost a harmless ball in the center circle and Dennis was deceived Courtois close (39th), not without having stumbled at the time of his shot! And the score could have been even heavier if Courtois had not interposed elsewhere (34th) ...

At 2-0 at the break, the Bernabeu has sketched shy whistles to accompany the replacement at the break of Courtois, victim of stomach problems according to the Spanish press and released in favor of the French Alphonse Areola. The latter was immediately illustrated before Dennis, who had crocheted Varane insolently (54th).

- Brugged corner -

Last season, without Zidane on the bench, Real might have fallen mentally.

But not this time: in the second half, the Madrilenians returned hungry, like the rookie Eden Hazard who has multiplied attempts (49th, 52nd, 65th) to try to erase a first period still sluggish on his part.

And as often in recent months, the light came from Karim Benzema: present in all the good moves on Tuesday, the French forward has reduced the score by sending a nice center in the area for the head of his captain Ramos , at the limit of the offside (55th), validated after recourse to the VAR.

There was still a big half hour to play and Real cornered Bruges in defense, accumulating no less than 27 shots on the whole match ... against seven for Bruges!

The equalization of Casemiro, a powerful head (85th), was deserved. But it was insufficient for the Madrilenians, jostled as rarely in their fetish competition. And if the opponents were no longer afraid of Real?

© 2019 AFP