• First Classification

  • Narration and statistics This is how we live the game

The Bernabéu is not a place for forgiveness. That is what the Sacred Hearts are for, right next to it. Athletic wasted what they were given, with Iñaki Williams overcome by the unexpected. First Casemiro was wrong and then Alaba in a Madrid in which no one had done it, precise and safe as rarely. Soccer is unfathomable even for those who know it best. Ancelotti asked for chewing gum which cannot be explained, and Vinicius and Benzema returned the logic that had initially marked the ball. The great flood of Athletic could not change it. The Brazilian and the French have more of Bonnie and Clay than of Samaritans. [Narration and statistics: 1-0]


Lineups carry messages. From the last pothole, which began with ridicule before the Sheriff at the Bernabéu, Ancelotti's are unmistakable. The usual ones. Yesterday, with the only exception of Lucas Vázquez. Rotations when fair days arrive. A risky bet, but in this strange season there is no risk other than the present, and the impression is that the Italian wants to expand the territory of the leader as soon as possible, which, in addition to the benefit for his team, will cause more anxiety in his pursuers . To evaluate the strategy you have to wait. In his previous stint, Ancelotti did the same in his second season and the team was exhausted before reaching their goals. With his victory against Athletic, his game postponed, he extended his advantage against Atlético and Real Sociedad by seven points. With Barça, at 13,nothing less. Although with a game more than rojiblancos and azulgrana, it is a dam.

Ancelotti's footballers understood that message well and started determined, very active in circulation and with more effective pressure than they showed against Sevilla. Possession has not traditionally been a variable that worried Madrid. He even relativized it, as it was the main characteristic of his rival and antagonist, Barcelona. You don't win with possession, but with chances, as Marcelino says. Certain. But the reality is that possession allows Madrid to increase the participation of footballers like Modric and Kroos, and that they can advance in the opposite field and approach the opposite goal. When that happens, things happen, the Croatian touches his heel or Kroos shoots, whose foot is like a painter's palette: he has the whole range of colors, of touches.In the moments of greatest dominance of his own, he was the owner of the game, and that is how the Bernabéu understood it when he was substituted.

Courtois, with the ball, against Raúl García.EFE

A shot from the German, with great precision despite the difficulty of the hit, was able to open the scoring and a touch of the Croatian's heel gave continuity to the action of Vinicius that ended with Benzema's goal.

Before scoring, Modric touched her again, when Unai Simón repelled Asensio's shot, but the Frenchman took advantage of his faulty reply.

In that case, the important thing was where Modric was.

If Madrid is not dominant, it will reach the area less times.

It is no coincidence that Madrid's most difficult minutes came when Ancelotti decided to give them rest.

Athletic managed to stretch after being totally subdued in the first quarter of the game. If he was able to free himself, it was thanks to the errors that took Madrid out of its safety, when Iñaki Williams had two occasions, and an isolated action from set pieces in which Raúl García appeared in his pure state to force Courtois to show his best version. It was not the only lateral ball that brought tremors to the Madrid area. There you need to adjust.

The form of Courtois, who again won a heads-up against Sancet, is outstanding in this start, above Oblak or Ter Stegen.

The leader owes much to the good tone of key links in his column: Courtois, Alaba, Kroos and Benzema.

Vinicius takes care of the periphery, active from the beginning in which he caused two reprimands in his band, to Zárraga and Lekue;

key in the play of the goal and 'fantasista'.

Like and like.

Muniain was in charge of basing Athletic's offensive actions before leaving the pitch, something for which Marcelino should have had good reasons.

The dynamics, however, were already from his team, picked up by an excellent Sancet to take the leader to the limit, supported in the area by his job and his goalkeeper, and now by a dike in front of the rest.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

  • sports

  • First division

  • Real Madrid

  • Athletic Bilbao

  • Karim Benzema

LaLiga Santander 2021 - 2022Ancelotti announces the resignation of Hazard and criticizes the "not so correct evaluation" of Bale's situation

LaLigaThe imbalance of Vinicius and a change to "avoid problems": "The game was hot"

FútbolBenzema will remain in the French national team even if he is convicted of blackmail: "He will not be excluded due to a judicial sanction"

See links of interest

  • Last News

  • Translator

  • What

  • Holidays 2021

  • 2022 business calendar

  • Home THE WORLD TODAY

  • Master investigative journalism

  • Spain - Argentina, live

  • Real Madrid - Athletic de Bilbao, live