Lucas Vázquez brought Christmas early for Real Madrid and gave the white team an agonizing victory against Alavés in Mendizorroza. The Galician’s header in stoppage time resolved a thick duel, one of those that is difficult to digest and that Nacho’s expulsion at the beginning of the second half definitively complicated. Everything pointed to a tie when the smallest rose above everyone in the area, after the umpteenth great serve from Kroos from the corner, and put the Chamartín team as the leader of the League to close the year 2023 in style.
Motivated by Girona’s draw against Betis that would allow them to reach first place in case of victory in Vitoria, Madrid jumped onto the pitch without sparing an ounce of the energy that Ancelotti usually demands from his team. Valverde soon tested Sivera’s reflexes to block a shot from the Uruguayan, although Alavés recovered from the white rush and had a shot by Luis Rioja blocked by Fran García.
The truth is that Ancelotti’s team was not comfortable, with little fluidity in the engine room. And Carletto’s tactical drawing, with Modric, Kroos and Valverde in the midfield, left Bellingham and Brahim freed up front but in a limbo that did not produce results. Thus, the first part progressed without much news in the areas. Just a header from Samu, into the hands of Kepa, after a bad clearance by Lucas Vázquez. And given Madrid’s obvious traffic jam in preparing the plays, Alavés’ counterattack, in just a few passes, was more effective.
Alavés
Sivera, Gorosabel (Tenaglia, min. 78), Aqbar, Rafa Marín, Duarte (Javi López, min. 59), Guevara, Blanco, Guridi (Hagi, min. 59), Rioja, Samu (Kike García, min. 78) and Rebbach (Sola, min. 72).
0
–
1
Real Madrid
Kepa, Lucas Vázquez, Rüdiger, Nacho, Fran García, Modric (Tchouaméni, min. 55), Kroos, Valverde, Brahim (Joselu, min. 76), Bellingham and Rodrygo (Ceballos, min. 96).
Goal: 0-1: min. 92, Lucas Vázquez.
Referee: Díaz de Mera Escuderos (Spanish-Manchego Committee). He warned Ancelotti, Duarte, Javi Lopez, Bellingham and Tenaglia. Red direct to Nacho, min. 54.
Incidents: Match on matchday 18 in Primera played in Mendizorroza before 19,275 spectators.
Poor white background before the break, with another very distant shot from Valverde saved by Sivera as the best option. The dangerous hitting of the Uruguayan was the emergency resource due to the lack of ideas, which invited them to rethink the duel taking advantage of the time in the locker room.
Madrid seemed to get into tune after the break, with a good action and subsequent shot by Brahim, deflected when hitting a local defender, but the white script went dangerously wrong with the direct red card to Nacho, declared at the request of the VAR after a strong stomp of the Madrid center back on Samu’s Achilles tendon. Serious setback for a team without alternatives in the rear axis, with Militao and Alaba out of play due to their cruciate breaks and with the improvised solution of Tchouaméni, in a role that he only played against Osasuna at the Bernabéu.
an unexpected hero
Despite the numerical inferiority and the brave changes of Luis García, Madrid did not give up the initiative. However, the funnel effect persisted near the babazorra area, where Ancelotti’s team was running out of ideas. Thus, the key to the duel could have been a counterattack, supported by Kroos’s glove on the right leg. With it the German put it for the race on the left of Rodrygo, who faced it and finished off, very close to the crossbar of the babazorro frame.
The Brazilian attacker was the most active in the final stretch, with Madrid dedicated in pursuit of that goal that would allow them to reach Girona at the top of the championship. Despite the obvious white territorial dominance, Alavés was already seeing the lights of the port with a valuable draw under their belt when an unexpected hero appeared for Real Madrid.
Kroos, always a guarantee in hitting, served a corner kick from the right with the precision that characterizes him and Lucas Vázquez, so little gifted in the aerial game, took advantage of the Alava confusion in marking to head into the net. Madrid closes the year as a leader, although also with the infirmary full and the threat that Rodrygo will also enter it after concluding the duel between gestures of pain.
2023-12-21 23:23:10
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