Benzema and Hazard cheer on Real Madrid

The night in Mendizorroza painted ugly for Real Madrid. Lacerated by a string of casualties, unguarded by the quarantine that the coronavirus has imposed on Zinedine Zidane, with two competitions thrown overboard at the first exchange, an adversary determined to give joy to his fans, although at a distance, to To celebrate the centenary of his glorious birth and devoid of any margin for error in front of an Atlético that sails from strength to strength at full sail, the current League champion nevertheless solved his visit to Vitoria with a force rarely seen this season.

Three goals at halftime and a fourth when Alavés threatened to rise from their ashes in the second period certified the triumph of the team led by David Bettoni in a circumstantial way against a rival whose initial effervescence was consumed after the first blow of the whites and his outburst of pride after the intermission was not enough to put the dream epilogue to a day full of symbolism for the babazorro club.

Benzema, twice, Casemiro and Hazard, who finally gave signs of lifeThis time, they were the stilettos of a squadron which, once again guided by Modric’s learned baton, once again demonstrated that it sails better in rough seas than in calm waters. It will not serve to make us forget the very hard defeats in the Super Cup and the Copa del Rey, but at least it will muffle the noise of the war drums in Valdebebas somewhat.

The beatific outcome of the match for the interests of Real Madrid contrasted, however, with its disturbing beginning. Because the whites came out somewhat imprecise with the ball. Casemiro lost a ball in the poisonous zone after Militao cleared the bulge and before Joselu threatened with a head with hardly any opposition in the area. The former white player was narrowly shot, but the action accounted for the tepid presentation of the visiting team. Alavés pressed intensely and sought the space between Militao and Lucas Vázquez, the theoretically weakest area in the rear of Real Madrid. Rioja percussed for that band, which shortly after put a candy to Martín Aguirregabiria that the Vitorian squandered with everything in his favor.

Real Madrid did not finish settling in the duel, but Modric reminded Glorioso of his rival’s hierarchy by filtering a choppy pass that Benzema could not take advantage of either the first or the second. The set, however, would be decisive, because the corner that led to the second attempt of the French would come the uncorking of the whites. Kroos put it at the heart of the area, where Casemiro brought out his status as a peer by beating Lejeune to seal his fifth target of the season, the third with the head. Once again the airway allowed to clear the way to Real Madrid, the team with the most header goals in the League.

The Brazilian midfielder’s goal turned the game because he released Real Madrid. Kroos began to rule and Modric to rub the lamp. The Balkan left Mendy hand in hand with Pacheco with a masterful delivery, but the side missed the deadly pass to Benzema and Alavés aborted the danger. By then the visiting squad was assiduously treading the surroundings of the Albiazul area, to Abelardo’s anger. Hazard was able to double the rent after Lucas Vázquez’s service, but the Belgian did not adjust well with his left foot.

The ‘7’ breathes

The ‘7’ overflowed less than Mendy for his band. Interestingly, his first decisive action would come without touching the ball. Lucas Vázquez served, Hazard misled by threatening to hit the spur and picked up Benzema, who put her in the squad with the right hand. The goal knocked out Alavés, who saw how the party for the centenary was watered down. So stunned were the local players that Kroos stole in three quarters, crossed Hazard and the former Chelsea man took a load off his shoulders by signing the third, the fourth in his account as a madridista.

Abelardo came out so scalded in the first half that he revolutionized his eleven with a triple change at halftime. The Asturian did not give up, despite the scale of the challenge that involved raising three goals from a disadvantage against Real Madrid. The slime fox pride was wounded and an angry Alavés returned from the booth. Joselu was able to shorten distances as soon as he returned from the dressing room, but Courtois stopped the forward’s point-blank shot.

Real Madrid had activated the energy management and the Albiazules took the opportunity to give him a lesson. They did it with a set piece, a luck from which almost half of the league goals of the Vitorian team come. And, as in Valdebebas, with the connection between Lucas Pérez, who had supplied Rioja in a very offensive change, and Joselu operating at full capacity. He bounced the ‘7’ a foul and headed the ‘9’ to the net after beating Militao in the fight.

The wake-up call alerted Real Madrid, who did not give too much option for the comeback. Modric, again, shed light on the darkness sending Benzema to run on the left so that the lionés ended up defining with a crossed shot after sitting a local defender. With the lawsuit sentenced, the whites finally had some breath. Well they needed it.