The 20 shots of a sterile siege against Remiro: "It has been one of our best games"

• Chronicle Madrid meets a heroic Real (0-0)

• Day 19 Classification in First Division

• The grass cutter Who can score a goal for Madrid?

The satisfaction for the game, full of verve and chances, cannot hide the stark qualifying evidence.

With one day to go before the end of the first round, Real Madrid sees the lead at five points, while Barcelona can congratulate themselves on their honorary title: winter champion.

Now that the halfway point of LaLiga is approaching, the Catalans not only maintain their projection of 100 points, but also have the biggest difference over their great rival in the last four years.

Since the last day of the 2018-19 academic year, Madrid did not see Barça as far away, who was able to close that title with absolute emphaticity.

The horizon line, therefore, should fade into dark tones for the reigning champion.

However, after the 0-0 loss against Real Sociedad, the climate inside the locker room was more optimistic.

"We can fight, because the team improves again. This week the injured return and we have confidence for the coming months," predicted

.

For the first time since last May, Madrid had not scored.

After that inconsequential 0-0 against Betis, prior to the final in Paris, 29 games scoring at least one goal.

A streak cut short by the gloves and boots of

dike

, author of seven interventions.

The Navarrese goalkeeper must feel some tingle when he steps on the Bernabéu, where he already left fantastic performances in November 2019 (3-1 in the League) and February 2020 (3-4 in the Cup).

"Nobody deserved to leave the party"

"We were a bit unlucky in the shot, but this can happen," Ancelotti admitted in the press room, while reviewing the bunch of wasted chances by

and

.

Not even that lack of precision from his forwards caused a reaction from the Italian in the direction of the field.

"It was difficult, because everyone was playing very well. I made the changes to get four fresh legs, but nobody deserved to leave the game,"

stressed .

Benzema, who has only been substituted in one of the 20 games he started as a starter, has yet to find worthy competition in

or

.

Not even with 20 shots, seven of them on goal, and 10 corner kicks, Madrid found a crack in the blue and white wall.

"It has been one of our best games of the season," confirmed Ancelotti, who in the previous hours had multiplied his praise for his rival.

Surely the Italian remembered some moments from that 0-0 defeat in Chamartín against Cádiz, in December 2021, when his team was unable to beat

despite his 36 shots.

The discouragement of the result left the morale of the madridistas touched somewhat.

"I leave with a bad taste in my mouth because we have done a lot to win," said

.

"In the end we accused the extension of Thursday in the Cup, but this is very long and we have to fight it," added

, protagonist of one of the most controversial moments of the night.

's quick throw-in

, the Real players claimed the second yellow card for the winger.

"It is true that I cut off the action. Fortunately, they have not taken a card for me," admitted the second white captain regarding the decision of

.

"The team has grown a lot"

From the Madrid side, the protests focused on the repeated grabbing in the area by

on

during the strategy actions.

"I've heard a teammate say that it could be a penalty, but in the end it's a lottery. Sometimes a grab in the area is whistled and other times it's not, like hands. We can't look at that, we had enough chances to win and a doubtful penalty it is not going to change it", concluded Courtois.

Nor did Ancelotti want to deepen his discomfort with the referee.

Despite his angry protests in the technical zone, the Reggiolo coach opted for a much more measured tone in front of the microphones.

"The season is long and the month of January has been difficult, but the team has grown a lot both physically, defensively and offensively," the former Milan coach specified.

A victory next Thursday against Valencia, in a match corresponding to day 17 and postponed by the Super Cup, would leave Madrid with 45 points, only one less than last year.

The problem is that if Barça reaches 50 with a victory over Betis, they will add 22 more than just a year ago.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

• football

• Real Madrid

• Real society

• Carlo Ancelotti