Free-fall victory against Valencia leaves Ancelotti’s team five points behind Barça, hit by injuries to Militao and Benzema
Real Madrid continues to claim the right to fight for the League against a full-fledged Barça at the end of the first round. Carlo Ancelotti’s team beat Valencia at Voro’s relaunch on the black and white bench with goals from Asensio and Vinicius to put them five points behind the winter champions.
Stuck in a first half in which they showed energy and good play, the Whites found gunpowder after going through the locker rooms to secure a vital victory in the Barca team’s chase, but which led to worrying injuries at Militao and Benzema. Undisputed leaders of the areas and essential for the next corners, the extent of the ailments with which the Brazilian central defender and the French striker withdrew early will determine the real cost of three points that seemed inevitable for Chamartín’s team .
Despite the lash of a calendar that offers no respite, Ancelotti contributed only two novelties to his side compared to the one he arranged against Real Sociedad four days earlier: the return of Modric at the expense of Valverde and the submission of Asensio for Rodrygo. Voro traded four cards in his eighth start as coach on Gattuso’s final card game, but failed to reverse the dynamic.
Courtois, Nacho, Militao (Carvajal, min. 36), Rüdiger, Camavinga, Kroos (Tchouaméni, min. 66), Modric (Valverde, min. 66), Ceballos, Asensio, Benzema (Rodrygo, min. 60) and Vinicius.
Mamardashvili, Foulquier, Paulista, Diakhaby, Gayà, Musah (Comert, min. 74), Guillamon, Almeida (Ilaix, min. 70), Castillejo (Marcos Andre, min. 58), Cavani (Fran Pérez, min. 74) and Samuel Lino (Lato, min. 70).
Barça’s attack on Benito Villamarín doubled the pressure on the whites, as harassed by the calculator as Valencia. For this reason, Ancelotti’s team came out with an impulse, albeit without tact. Modric left Asensio hand in hand with Mamardashvili as soon as the curtain went up. The game was won by the Georgian archer who pulled out a titanium hand. Real Madrid, with Kroos as anchor and a Ceballos eventually cheered by the Bernabéu leading the attack, took command with poise and verticality. A shot to Benzema’s heel created another big chance for Asensio, who was again blindsided in the shot, this time by Paulista’s prodding.
Valencia, defeated in self-esteem, took refuge by lowering the block, but suffered from Vinicius’ cylinders, Camavinga’s coladas, Benzema’s play between the lines and Asensio’s attacks. Real Madrid’s good intentions were tempered by two factors: the lack of efficiency in definition and Militao’s right leg adductor injury.
All in all, the whites could go into the break with a smile from ear to ear. Technology prevented it, which sometimes turns into fraud that football’s old testament has established within the legal channels. Rüdiger headed into the net on the exit of a corner, but the VAR warned the referee about an alleged previous foul by Benzema on Musah. It seemed like another fight. The slow motion can sometimes be as perverse as it is pernicious the suspicion that criticism of supposed arbitrage benefits for the big ones dents the establishment.
Real Madrid couldn’t afford to complain as they came back from the break in sixth gear. A left foot shot from Asensio from the edge unblocked play and freed Ancelotti’s pupils, who finally showed their arsenal in the blitzkrieg. Benzema let go of the reins to Vinicius, who put his foot on the accelerator to beat Mamardashvili and celebrate his 200 appearances with Real Madrid by taking his goal tally to 49 since wearing white. Only Raúl and Casillas reached the double hundred mark earlier than the new handsome boy at the Bernabéu.
The 2-0 was a huge blow to Valencia, unable to intimidate Real Madrid and finally condemned by Paulista’s untimely kick to Vinicius that cost the Brazilian centre-back a red card, while Benzema was already on the bench due to an accidental accident. In numerical superiority, the final stretch served as a massage for Ancelotti’s troops after a match that could, however, disrupt their schedule in the face of the brutal war they will wage in the coming weeks. We’ll have to be alert to the news coming out of the infirmary.
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
