Madrid (AFP)
Finally launched: thanks to its captains and an unexpected savior named Rodrygo, Real Madrid ended up snatching its first victory in the Champions League this season on Tuesday, sinking 3-2 an Inter Milan still in search of a first success and good last of group B.
Out of nowhere: forgotten on the bench and sentenced to a few matches since the start of the season, the young Brazilian winger of 19 years Rodrygo allowed Real, under pressure after the equalizer of Inter by Ivan Perisic (68th ), to come out of its European torpor.
Behind the scoring bosses Karim Benzema (25th) and Sergio Ramos (33rd), the trusted men of Zinédine Zidane with whom they won a treble in the Champions League (2016, 2017, 2018), it was Rodrygo who was reminded the French technician, with a decisive right strike in the 80th, after the achievements of Lautaro Martinez (35th) and Perisic.
While his compatriot Vinicius was eagerly awaited at the start of the season in the absence of Eden Hazard, it was the youngest author of a treble in the Champions League (last year against Galatasaray) who saved the " White House "from the start of a European debacle.
- "I waited for my chance" -
"I was ready, I waited for my chance to do this when I was on the pitch," Rodrygo said on Movistar + at the end of the match.
Rodrygo had only seen the end of six small matches since the start of the season in La Liga (only once against Real Sociedad on the first day, September 20), without ever scoring ... and had not either was decisive against the B team of Shakhtar Donetsk, when Zidane had decided to turn.
And alongside the young Brazilian prodigy, the tauliers were there to show the way: Karim Benzema opened the scoring by mischievously intercepting a hazardous receding pass from the ex-hope of Real Achraf Hakimi (25th), then captain Sergio Ramos doubled the stake for the Merengues, taking a nice cross header a corner from Toni Kroos (33rd), for his 100th goal in all competitions under the colors of Real.
"Lautaro" reduced the gap in the wake (35th), on a heel of genius from the Italian playing master Nicolo Barella, then Perisic equalized ... but it was insufficient for Antonio Conte's Inter, in lack of offensive benchmarks without his chief gunner Romelu Lukaku (injured), and suffocated by the pressing of the "White House" in the first period.
And it is again because of their problems behind that Inter Milan fall, more hampered by defensive approximations than by the lack of offensive options.
Because Lautaro Martinez and Perisic were rather realistic ... despite two big missed opportunities, one each, in the last quarter of an hour of the match (75th, 76th).
"It's disappointing, because we did everything to win this game. We're angry because it's a game we wanted to win and we have a lot of chances for. We are doing everything to win, but there are errors ... ", raged Lautaro Martinez on Sky Sports.
- "A really crazy thing" -
The return of the Italians is, therefore, a terrible admission of weakness for the Madrid eleven, who conceded 18 goals in their last 8 European home games.
After trailing 3-0 against Shakhtar Donetsk on Matchday 1, and 2-0 against Borussia Mönchengladbach on Matchday 2, Zinedine Zidane's men found themselves in the opposite position on Tuesday night, leading 2- 0 after half an hour of play ... But failed to keep control of the game.
"With each victory, the team regains confidence, and dispels the doubts generated by the poor results. We have to stay away from it all, no opinion should distract our attention. We knew it was to life to death, ”captain Ramos summed up on Movistar + at the final whistle.
Despite an avoidable blow of stress, Real Madrid pocketed their first European victory this season, which made them "a crazy good" according to Zidane, while Inter will still have to fight in the return matches of the group stage, to win your ticket for the 8th finals.
© 2020 AFP