Pep Guardiola called athletes to the team Cristiano. An adjective that today still fell short of defining Madrid today, although it would surely have generated the same controversy. The fact is that Simeone’s phrase after the suffered victory against Feyenoord has gone viral by mentioning his eternal rival without perhaps being relevant. The red and white coach spoke of the merit of his team for enduring such tremendous wear and tear, citing players like Azpilicueta and Witsel (both 34 years old): “I speak about what I think. Except for Real Madrid, which manages to compete in Europe extraordinarily because it has extraordinary young players, Camavinga, Bellingham, Tchouameni, Vinicius, Rodrygo… Obviously it allows him to compete in the best way. I think all the other teams have a hard time. It was difficult for Sevilla, it was difficult for Barcelona in recent years and it is difficult for us,” he explained.
A few days before, after Real Madrid’s victory in Girona, the local coach also mentioned this quality of the whites: “It is the team with the most leg in LaLiga. You lose the ball and it costs a world to get it back. We went after them and when they progress, if you let them run and organize themselves in a team that is difficult to take the ball away from, “he noted.
The gesture of Jude Bellingham, the language of genius that the world of football was missing
“In general, it is a technical team but also a physical one.. “Madrid was ready to replace Benzema with Bellingham,” he said. Rudi Garcia before facing Napoli against Real Madrid.
What the white template data says
The truth is that it is evident that Madrid has been looking for technically good players for years, but adding that they are young, with exceptions for specific needs, and very strong physically. In terms of average age of the squads, it is true that Madrid’s (27.4) is younger than Atlético’s (27.6), but not that of Barcelona (28.7), but where the youth of the white club is most noticeable is in the eleven. In the case of Barça, although the commitment to the youth team is unquestionable, they have signed two forward midfield players for their starting eleven who do not fit into Madrid’s profile: Lewandowski and this summer Gündogan.
Except for Madrid, which has extraordinary young people, it is more difficult for the rest of us Spaniards in Europe
Diego Pablo Simeone
Without Modric, from midfield to forward, where it is most demanded physically, The oldest is Valverde with 25, then Tchouaméni and Vinicius with 23, Rodrygo (22) and Bellingham and Camavinga are only 20 years old. The only veteran who is sneaking into the eleven is Kroos, at 33 years old. In defense, the trend is the opposite. Except for Militao, injured, at 25 years old, The weight of the rear is carried by veterans like Courtois (31) (injured) now Kepa (29), Carvajal (31), Mendy (28), Rüdiger (30), Alaba (31) or Lucas Vázquez (32).
But beyond age, The common denominator of the offensive apparatus of the Madrid eleven is the legs, as Michel says, and the energy that comes with age, as Simeone pointed out. Speed and strength define all of them, each with its own characteristics, but it is clear that it is an ideal block for setting a high pace and running.
The Bellinhgam example
The arrival of the Englishman confirms this trend of the club. In his two Champions League games, he has traveled 22.64 km and reached a maximum speed of 32.5 km/h according to UEFA data. His physical display in the last minutes against Naples caught attention. The return of Vinicius recovered from his injury is also beginning to be noticed. He is the fastest player in the League and one of the fastest in Europe. He is also one of the footballers who stands out every year in the ranking of dribbles and kilometers traveled among forwards.
Bellingham goal (1-2) in Naples 2-3 Real Madrid
It all started with Vini
And the transition that Real Madrid is carrying out began precisely with Vinicius. It was difficult for him to adapt, but in the last two years he has emerged as one of the great values of world football. Then came Rodrygo and was followed by Camavinga, Tchouaméni and now Bellingham. All reinforcements have a common denominator.
Vinicius goal (1-1) in Naples 2-3 Real Madrid
2023-10-06 04:08:29
#Europe #envies #Madrids #legs
