• Chronicle.Courtois holds the League and Casemiro bites it in Valladolid

As soon as he stepped onto the

José Zorrilla

lawn

to warm up,

Casemiro

began to joke with

Vinícius Jr

while he got serious to warm up.

Smiles here, concentration there.

Some to reduce the tension of his young teammate, starting one more day before the loss of

Eden Hazard

, the other to focus on the work that was ahead: in attack, enlist in the midfielder to leave room for

Kroos and Modric

in the construction In defense, return to the axis that avoids the great evils of

Real Madrid

.

The Real Madrid midfielder is not one of the captains, an honor that on the night of Valladolid and with the absences of Sergio

Ramos, Marcelo and Benzema

corresponded to

Raphael Varane

, on staff since 2011, but the Brazilian leads the way in the locker room.

He constantly encourages his teammates, especially his friend Vinícius - "Let's

go, Vini caralho

!", He shouted at him - and orders each play of the team. His was the first row after the initial stops by

Courtois

, who put on the cape as a hero one more night, and his were also the best occasions in Zidane's painting, thick in

Pucela

.

His connection with Kroos

brings the league closer to Madrid.

They do not speak much, despite the fact that German shows almost perfect Spanish, but their relationship is based on the game.

In the air, rather.

Casemiro laughed after the first wrong header

after a cross from his teammate.

Looking ahead and denial of the sky.

And he scratched his head incessantly after the second, in which, being alone in the area, he sent the ball out.

The smile gave way to rage.

He didn't believe it.

And in the third he did not fail.

Fifth goal of the season and

second white scorer after Benzema

.

A striker in the body of an all-field player, in the mind of a central defender.

"

We believe in the League

, not only because Atlético played, there are still 42 points, there are many and there is a lot of league left," expressed the '14' merengue to the Movistar + microphones.

"We believe in the League," he repeated: "In the dressing room we always talk about it, we know it is difficult but we believe."

Mariano's obsession

Before Casemiro, only

Mariano

had tried

, obsessed with scoring from the warm-up.

As he jumped onto the grass in

Valladolid, he

lifted the ball and began tapping with his gaze fixed on the ball.

He set it aside and began the exercises with his eyes on the horizon.

Concentrated.

Not a word.

Not a gesture.

He continued with shots on goal, where almost all the shots hit the net, and went to the locker room.

The television cameras were fixed from the beginning on him, a substitute for

Benzema

and a starter for the third time in the League when he visited

Valladolid

.

The statistics, always interesting, explained that the Merengue youth squad had a better league scoring average than the French nine:

one goal every 137 minutes for Mariano

, one every 145 for Karim.

The opening whistle did not distract Mariano from his ultimate goal in Pucela: the goal.

Necessary for Madrid, dependent on Benzema for too long, and necessary for him, who adds only a little this season.

From that desire came his first two goals of the night.

A double canceled for offside that resulted in his leaving the field in the 60th minute. With him

Asensio and Vinícius

left the game

, an unprecedented trident for Zidane that made waters.

"

It is positive that it is difficult for the rival to create a chance,

" Butragueño insisted just before a start in which

Courtois saved Zidane's men

.

The Frenchman was reflective on the bench, aware that at his side he only had one solution of experience: Isco.

The rest, the champions of the Youth Champions.

Consequences of the eternal plague that plagues the squad.

The Andalusian came out at the same time as

Hugo Duro

, a white debutante, although he had already played in the league with Getafe, and

Arribas, always electric

.

Zidane and Benzema's doubt

"We are not taking chances with Karim."

Zinedine Zidane was direct when asked about the possibilities of Benzema playing this Wednesday the first leg of the knockout stages of the Champions League against Atalanta.

"If you play the final of the Champions League or the final of the League it may be, but the season is long," summed up the Frenchman, aware that his team is now three points behind the lead, although Atlético have one game less.

"We will see from tomorrow, that Karim has another resonance. We are never going to risk with a player."

Regarding the squad, which currently has twelve healthy players, Zidane stressed that the homegrown players Hugo Duro and Arribas "worked well" during the minutes they had.

"Many things come together and it is not easy to add. We come from many suits and we have to continue," claimed the Frenchman.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

  • Casemiro

  • Madrid

  • Mariano Diaz

  • Getafe

  • Isco Alarcon

  • Marcelo

  • Real Madrid

  • Luka modric

  • Eden Hazard

LaLiga Santander 2020 - 2021 Mysteries, science and an important anger: the problem of injuries at Real Madrid

LaLiga Santander 2020 - 2021Zidane and the "madness" of the league calendar: eight players in Madrid's infirmary

LaLiga SantanderThe story of Marvin Park, Zidane's remedy

See links of interest

  • 2021 business calendar

  • Jennifer Brady - Naomi Osaka, live

  • Southampton - Chelsea

  • Elche - Eibar

  • Atlético de Madrid - Levante, live

  • Real Valladolid - Real Madrid, live