• Pressure: Madrid plays the season in the classic
  • Mariano. Barcelona asked for the Real Madrid player

Jesus Gil said, in his first steps as president of Atlético, that he did not understand how, when making a signing, he did not submit the player on duty "to a psychological examination." The statements, collected on the cover of a newborn newspaper EL MUNDO , had an impact on Spanish football. The controversial leader was already spinning more than one disappointment with transfers leaving frog. Clueless strikers, bad head defenses or immature sides.

Decades before, Santiago Bernabéu applied a more personal method when it came to radiographing new ones. The theory of the jeta - thus he baptized it - never failed him: «At ten minutes, after looking into the eyes of a player, I know if it is valid or not for Real Madrid». It would be good to know what the mythical white leader would have said before the unperturbed face of Luka Jovic , the semi-forgotten forward by Zinedine Zidane .

The lack of a goal and the reborn defensive tremors have their team walking without a net towards Sunday's classic, where a defeat would leave the season pending two miracles in the League and in the Champions League . This could be considered the missions to cut six points (five plus the goal average ) to Messi in the remainder of the course and to overcome at home of Manchester City the European tie that was twisted last Wednesday.

To react to Barcelona , Zidane has several offensive alternatives, in a probable new turn to its eleven starter. One would be the Serbian striker who had a mouth open to the great shields of the continent a year ago. It was precisely the French coach one of the most enthusiastic in the club when claiming the signing. Mariano , the pure striker he already had in the squad, did not convince him (and still does not do so) as a substitute for Karim Benzema . Better, he thought, go for the revelation of the Eintracht in Frankfurt. For 60 million euros, Real Madrid took over one of the upward names in the market.

The numbers of the young Serbian burst in the European parabolic. At this point of the year, before stepping on March, he had already scored 21 goals between the league and the Europa League. Five of them put them in a stroke against Düsseldorf , in one of those afternoons that change the life of any player.

Without adaptation

Twelve months later, the professional dream of reaching the white giant has been fulfilled, he has been in need of his new team, with a few minutes and less so many (only two, of final seasoning in league goals). The last one was against Osasuna, weeks ago, without that good auction was very useful. When faced with the question of what happens with Jovic, in Valdebebas and the Bernabéu, that is, clothing and offices, the Serbian is indicated more than the coach. The character of the boy is not helping him in his premiere in Madrid. " Zizou likes it, but it needs to adapt," they say from the club, where they continue to rely on their projection.

The truth is that in the field, in the opportunities he has had, he has been somewhat misplaced, with little participation in the game, as little integrated into the grass as it was. Quiet, rocky, impenetrable ... Adjectives link in the same line to draw a personal profile that is not benefiting you. Too introverted. Not even Luka Modric's help has so far served to fit the ecosystem of a locker room like that of Real Madrid. Too bad, their teammates think, because they are the first to know their scoring ability. They assure from the Sports City that Jovic has lethal mornings before Courtois and Areola.

From their surroundings they ask for patience with a very young player (22 years, five more seasons of contract). "It also took Benzema to explode," they remember from their closed circle in Madrid. The bad year in Spain has also affected the national team, where his conflict with the coach has had as much echo as his change of partner, from a famous model of the country (the mother of his son) to another in a few months.

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  • Real Madrid
  • Luka Jovic
  • Zinedine Zidane
  • Karim Benzema
  • Luka modric
  • Thibaut Courtois
  • sports
  • First division
  • Champions League
  • football

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