The drums of war summon Benzema. The 'tam tam' comes from the Camp Nou and Stamford Bridge, where Madrid plays the Cup and the second leg of the Champions League will be played. In reality, what is at stake in those hostile places is the course and who knows if the continuity of the teacher with a vest, since the League will arrive for Barça in the same way that spring happens to winter. Under his oblique sun, the Frenchman met again at the Bernabéu, where he scored in every possible way, as if he were deploying the catalogue against a Valladolid as daring as it was deluded. Maybe Pacheta thought that if he had to lose, at least it would be with good propaganda. He was wrong, because it is not the same to fall 1-0 than 6-0. Blank sets are bad publicity for football.

After beating Barcelona in Elche, Madrid needed to respond with the same tone, and not because of the points, because the distance is an abyss, but because of the imminent duel in the second leg of the Cup semifinals, on Wednesday. Ancelotti did similar things to Xavi, by giving options to players who had long been out of the right orbit, such as Tchouaméni and Asensio, both in an eleven of very offensive profiles, with Lucas Vázquez and Camavinga on the sides. The Balearic did not appear on the sidelines, but in the center of the field, where he found spaces and corridors. The longest took him to the balcony of the area, unopposed, to leave Rodrygo's goal pending execution. The outcome rewarded his match with the fifth.

INDIVIDUAL MARKINGS

Pacheta's bet to have markings to the man, with follow-ups throughout the field, has very high risks if who is persecuted is Madrid players. Under normal circumstances, he would lose in every pairing. The open field that Asensio found in the play of the first goal was the result. Pacheta gave some bud his proposal at the start, but if they do not reach the flower of the goal, they are useless. Roque Mesa smashed a measured shot into the woodwork and Monchi threw off on an arrival in the area. It would not be the only stick of Valladolid, who wanted to reproduce the same start after the break, although with a difference, and that is that the second half began with a 4-0.

The reasons had to be asked to Benzema, who to the usual subtleties of his movements, added three goals achieved in seven minutes, from 29 to 36. First after receiving from Asensio, move parallel to the goal, leave a rival sitting with the threat and place the ball where Asenjo could not reach. Then, when he went to meet a center and hit his head at the knee. Vinicius' center was as delicate as the movement with which a newborn is cradled. Finally, he drew a 'semichilena', with his back to goal. There was no ornamentation at all, no. He was the best resource in his position, with his back to the goal.

TESTIMONIAL HAZARD

The Bernabeu rose to applaud a Benzema who was not at his best in the duels with Barcelona, especially the last one. This hat-trick, on the other hand, makes him present weapons again, as if he had cleaned his weapons at the vigil. That is how the Bernabéu feels it, where they await him in two weeks, against Chelsea.

Benzema, on the other hand, was replaced by someone from whom they no longer expect anything. This is Hazard, who no longer entered to play a game, but for the stone, the same as Vallejo or Odriozola. They were testimonial. Ancelotti also saved minutes to Vinicius, who did a lot without scoring, although he helped himself hand in hand in the goal annulled to Rodrygo, who finally closed the scoring account that the Brazilian himself had opened, and gave them to Ceballos, who wants more than he has. The situation of the Belgian and the Sevillian have nothing to do. Between them is Asensio, who appears and disappears, yesterday with a great game and a goal sobrero, but that in Madrid only serves to be an opening act. He has assumed it.

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  • Real Madrid
  • Real Valladolid CF
  • Karim Benzema
  • Marco Asensio
  • Carlo Ancelotti