Real Madrid shoots themselves in front of the Sheriff

Stage fright, which claimed so many victims in the past among those who visited the Santiago Bernabéu in European competition, has turned against its owner for some time now. Stepping on the fiefdom of Paseo de la Castellana in his fetish tournament has now become a real torment for the thirteen-time champion of the continent. This is how their numbers discover it. Only five victories in the last thirteen appointments in his former fortress show that he has a fat problem. Even the modest Sheriff of the unknown Moldovan league managed to assault him the night that the Merengue Coliseum again heard the music of the Champions League 580 days later. It rose to its beards as in previous campaigns CSKA, Bruges or Shakhtar did. And he took the victory with trade, self-confidence and the necessary doses of luck. Historical feat for some and historical embarrassment for others.

A great goal from Thill when Real Madrid fought for the comeback rounded off a result that will go around the world. Because of the caliber of the defeated and, above all, because of the audacity of the winner, a team that has already touched heaven entering the group stage for the first time and that, not satisfied with it, leads with full points in the first two days a group that seemed made for whites to roam freely, beyond the threat of Inter. The Italian squad did not finish taking off either and gave oxygen to Carlo Ancelotti’s team by drawing against Shakhtar in Ukraine. Thank goodness, because otherwise the situation would begin to acquire dramatic overtones.

The difference in quality between the opponents was abysmal, but the Sheriff showed that there is nothing in football that can be taken for granted with a display of gallantry. He planted the defense quite advanced and complicated Real Madrid from the first moment. His roadmap was to catch him off guard on the counter and he took the lunge early, with a cross from Cristiano from the left for Yakhshiboev to head at will. Not in his best dreams could he have mustered a better script. The goal set off all the alarms at the Bernabéu. And another mistake, in this case of Courtois, placed the respectable meringue on the edge of soponcio. Yakhshiboev missed the shot by a hair, but the warning was serious.

Touched on his pride, and after minutes in which he was a nervous wreck, Real Madrid finally reacted with fury. Vinicius, Nacho, Benzema, Hazard and Casemiro led the siege, but between the lack of aim and the good responses of Athanasiadis, the Sheriff managed to go to rest with an advantage. Amazing.

Who forgives, pays

Ancelotti kept the stickers after passing through the shed, but began to shake the hornet’s nest in case he had to go to the emergency room. His team redoubled the momentum in front of a Sheriff stationed but who came out with fire as soon as he had a loophole. Madrid was beginning to be in a hurry. The lateral centers are not exactly the best of his resources, but he went to them far too often.

Vinicius and Hazard revolted against this path, determined to propose from within. The Belgian tries to make up lost ground in his 30s. The Brazilian leads with infinite faith and courage at 21 years old. A raid by the latter took Real Madrid out of the hole. Addo had no choice but to knock him down in the area. Benzema executed the squad from eleven meters to surpass Raúl and place himself, with 72, as the fourth all-time leading scorer in the Champions League alone.

Vinicius had the second pass from Camavinga, but Athanasiadis responded with bravery, the same one that allowed him to save with his face a point-blank shot from Modric shortly after. By then Ancelotti had already dispensed with the sides to put all the artillery on the green. With Rodrygo, Jovic, Modric and the recovered Kroos joining forces with Benzema and Vinicius, Real Madrid kept the fight going. But he forgave and paid for it. Thill caught a ball on the edge of the area and put it in the net. Another disaster that will go down in the annals.