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At this point in April there is no resurrection that is worth for Madrid in the League, sunk away from Barça, so the Whites breathe by inertia on the way to another appointment with history in the Champions League. Your League. Meanwhile, they keep the pulse on weekends with games that more than points give or take away confidence and rest. So it was in the 2-3 against Villarreal.

Carlo Ancelotti sat Carvajal, Militao, Camavinga, Kroos, Modric and Fede Valverde. Six axes of your spine. His absence in a squad of the talent of Madrid should not be noticed, some will think. But yes. And a lot. Especially against a yellow submarine good technically and tactically, capable of holding eternal possessions and launching its whips into space. The Setien era started irregularly, but after the failure of his elimination in the Europa League, he has caught his breath in La Liga and is already stepping on European positions. For something it is.

Villarreal owned the ball from minute one and subdued Madrid's midfield, which lost cash in the rotations and was built on Tchouaméni and Ceballos, with Asensio in the midfield and Rodrygo on the right. A vertical team, to break, not to knead ball like its rival. There suffered those of Ancelotti, who only found joy against.

Nacho warned first, who failed to give in to Benzema after a good pass to the gap of Vini. Afterwards, the Brazilian himself received in length of Tchouaméni and crossed his definition too much before Reina. Both plays were executed the same: surprising Villarreal into space. In the third, in the 16th, luck allied with the whites. Asensio shared with Ceballos a good start from the back and attacked a corridor in the center of the yellow field to plant himself in the front of the area. He yielded to Vinicius, who tried a pass of death that fell short, just for the Balearic to find the ball and think a center-chut that bounced offPau Torres and sneaked into the nets of Pepe Reina.

Chukwueze, the best

The 1-0 did not alter the plans of Villarreal, who remained faithful to their idea: leisurely possession and pressure on Rüdiger and Lucas Vázquez in the Real Madrid exit. If we count the occasions, it worked. If we look at Ancelotti's desperation, too. Madrid, who were able to make it 2-0 on a double chance from Benzema and Rodrygo that Reina saved, began to suffer when they could not find the ball and sank deeper and deeper into their own field. Chukwueze and Baena, the most dangerous of Setién's, failed against Courtois, but the Nigerian found a prize in the 38th.

An eternal possession of Villarreal ended up breaking the marks of the Madrid defense and Lo Celso, who after a serious injury has returned to the joy of the yellows, spotted a vertical pass to the front for Chukwueze. The Nigerian, inexplicably free, turned, faced and destroyed Nacho with a trick and defined easy before Courtois. The goal confirmed that Rüdiger and Alaba are not the best centre-back pairing Ancelotti can find in his rotation. Both prefer the left and without Militao they drown in exit of the ball. The Italian saw it and introduced the Brazilian at half-time.

The intermission suited Madrid well. Not so much for the game, but for the result and, as always, for Vinicius. The Brazilian started the second half controlling a long ball with his back, lifting the Bernabéu from his seat, and in the next play he saw goal. The striker received from Ceballos and faced the area with the Villarreal defense in front. Mission almost impossible. In a couple of touches, with an autopass and a pipe, Vinicius planted himself in front of Reina and defined with ease.

With the score in favor, Ancelotti began to think with the calculator looking at Chelsea. Logical seeing the league situation of his team. The Italian withdrew Benzema before the 60th and introduced Valverde. It was not just a change, but a declaration of intent. The pace of the Whites began to drop, with Vinicius being the only one who accelerated the game, and Villarreal again approached Courtois with danger. In the 72nd, Morales got the equalizer after a good interception of Chukwueze.

In the 79th, the Nigerian invented a left-footed shot from the top of the large area that sneaked through Courtois' right squad. A 2-3 that, as if it did not matter, is Madrid's first defeat this season at the Bernabéu and that could leave them 15 behind Barça and, eye, only two above Atlético if they win their matches. There will be no league resurrection and in Chamartín only the Champions League on Wednesday is smelled. Your League.

  • Real Madrid
  • Villarreal CF

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