He Real Madrid Of the absences he could only take one point from the La Cerámica stadium. He did not manage Mariano’s early goal with solvency and in the second half the game was very long. He Villlarreal He ended up drawing a penalty, the fourth for the Whites in the last two days, and wasted a couple of very clear chances to win.
If those of Zidane had seven casualties, including a man per line as important as Ramos, Casemiro and Benzema, Villarreal also suffered a lot from the absence of a scorer like Paco Alcacer.
System change
Real Madrid played 4-2-3-1
It was not a showy or brilliant Madrid, but a supportive and committed team, with very close lines. He did not mind giving the ball to Villarreal and to change Zidane he changed even the drawing. The 4-3-3 gave way to a 4-2-3-1. Modric and Kroos were on the line of contention, something that they both like very little and ahead of them were Lucas Vázquez and Hazard on the wings with Odegaard in the middle. Mariano was a lonely island above. Catalan will be better or worse. It can be argued if he has enough quality to play for Madrid but what no one can question him is his instinct of nine, of killer.
Gerard Morena executes a penalty against Real Madrid
Playing Kroos and Modric so far behind had a double effect. The positive for Madrid was to gain in defensive security, the ability to protect the ball where mistakes cost a lot; the negative, that by having the German and the Croatian away from the rival area, their offensive production decreased notably when it came to filtering goal passes.
A controversial goal
The VAR validated Mariano’s goal
The match could not have started better for Madrid, who scored in minute two a goal that had his crumb and in which he collected his quota of VAR regular role. So much so that the white club protested the decisions of the VAR in Mestalla on this occasion, it was favored first. The play was muddled. Carvajal threw a cross towards Lucas Vázquez, who did not get the ball because it was cut off by a defender. The linesman raised the flag but the play continued because Hernández Hernández did not stop the game. The ball reached Carvajal again, who centered the heart of the area and from there Mariano burst in to win the position of the defender and head into the net.
Mariano’s celebration
Many Submarine players protested, the Canarian referee (one of the most suspicious of Madrid for its arbitrations in past classics) consulted the VAR and it ruled 0-1.
Boredom
A first part without chances
To start losing was a slab that it cost him to remove Villarreal. Madrid gave him the ball and fell back almost to his area. The first part was only played in the center of the field. The Submarine fumbled and fumbled with the ball outside of the risk areas and at no time did he find the slightest crack to disturb Courtois, who did not have to intervene even once. The same thing happened to Asenjo.
The second half started unchanged and with Villarreal more pressing. At 57 the Submarine had its first great occasion. Kroos got tangled up at the time of getting the ball out, a rare thing for him and his bad pass ended up in Gerard Moreno, who headed for Courtois with everything in favor to tie it, but his shot was too narrow and he found no door.
Swings
Emery improved the team with three changes
After the first quarter of an hour came the sudden changes. Emery introduced Yéremi Pino, Chukweze and Estupiñán. Zidane responded immediately. He removed Hazard for Vinícius and Odegaard for the controversial Isco, who had been seen in the stands with a gesture of boredom and passing everything.
The changes soon benefited the Submarine. Parejo, in good position, shot high. The tying goal could be seen coming and came on a penalty that Moreno threw for a clear knockdown of Courtois to Estupiñán. From there, the Submarine went for victory with a shrunken Madrid. Gerard Moreno and Kubo could give the finishing touch but they were not fine in the auction. Madrid barely endured 1-1 as the lesser evil.
Datasheet
1- Villarreal: Asenjo, Mario Gaspar (Peña, m.88), Albiol, Pau Torres, Pedraza (Estupiñán, m.61). Parejo, Iborra, Trigueros (Chukwueze, m.62), Moi Gómez (Take, m.88), Gerard and Bacca (Yeremi, m.62).
1- Real Madrid: Courtois, Carvajal, Nacho, Varane, Mendy; Kroos, Odegaard (Isco, m.65), Modric; Hazard (Vinicius, m.65), Mariano (Asensio, m.85) and Lucas Vázquez.
Goals: 0-1, m. 2: Mariano. 1-1, p. 76: Gerard, de penalty.
Referee: Hernández Hernández (C. Canario). He admonished Yeremi for Villarreal, and Nacho and Kroos for Real Madrid.
Incidents: Match corresponding to the tenth day of LaLiga Santander played at the La Cerámica stadium without spectators.
