San Sebastian (Spain) (AFP)
Back to school failed: for their first match of the season, defending champions Real Madrid conceded a 0-0 draw on Sunday at Real Sociedad for the second day of the Spanish championship, in the wake of a very Martin Odegaard. shy.
Is the crown already wobbling?
After having closed the 2019-2020 championship in cannonball mode with 10 wins and a draw in eleven post-confinement matches, the defending champion was not at the start of the new school year in San Sebastián.
Of all the Madrilenians, the one with the best apology was Martin Odegaard.
It must have been a dream evening for the Norwegian prodigy (21), who returned to the field where everything smiled on him last season, during which he was loaned.
But, this time dressed in white, in the wake of a breathless Real Madrid in the second half, "Martintxo", as he is nicknamed by Basque fans, failed to create any differences.
- Odegaard, master at playing?
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For his first game in the white jersey since his half hour of play in 2015 when he arrived at the "White House", Odegaard was shy ... but did not denote in the Galactic Eleven.
While he has just recovered from the last sequelae of his tendinopathy in his right knee, Odegaard won the confidence of Zinédine Zidane from the start.
In an appropriate role of N.10 behind Karim Benzema, the Norwegian international prodigy (21 years old, 22 sel.), Recalled by "Zizou" for this season after two years of loan in the Netherlands then a season in San Sebastián, precisely, found his place as dispatcher, while the captains Luka Modric and Toni Kroos worked at a post more remote than usual.
"It's true that we have a very similar group, but it's a group with which we won. And in a beautiful way. This year, maybe there will be only one recruitment. , the return of Martin (Odegaard), but we all want to take up the challenge once again. There are many things that are being said, that we are going to redo with the old people, that there is not changes ... but we have to be ready. It will be hard, it will be long, but we want to defend our title, and we will do it with desire, "Zidane assured on Saturday.
- David Silva, back in La Liga -
In the wake of his knockout round of C1 lost against Manchester City (1-2, 2-1) in early August, where he had run out of steam after winning the 34th national title in its history in July, Real has had more difficulty than expected to launch the defense of his crown.
In the first period, we saw a Real Madrid very similar to that of June-July: domineering, which concedes few opportunities ... but which creates few, too.
Real Madrid lost in strength, and faltered under the alerts of Real Sociedad.
First on a double attempt by Alexander Isak (43rd), who saw his second strike graze the cages of Thibaut Courtois, after the latter was promptly out to deflect his first ball.
Then on a big occasion of the young Ander Barrenetxea (18 years), who missed the frame very little when he returned from the locker room (47th).
And the entry of the rookie star of the transfer window of the Basques, David Silva (63rd), continued to unbalance the "White House", despite the replacement of Martin Odegaard by the captain Casemiro (70th).
A week before FC Barcelona's entry into contention at Camp Nou against Villarreal (Sunday at 19:00 GMT), Real Madrid therefore missed an opportunity to establish their domination from the start ... and it is the eternal surprise Granada, already 7th last season, who took the lead in the Liga standings, after a second success in two matches on Sunday 2-1 against Alavés.
© 2020 AFP