Real Madrid’s first minutes in Girona were, once again, to ask many questions. And yet, once the match was over, the feeling it left was that Madrid pHe may have found a system and a way to get ahead this season. Football changes that quickly and there are victories that can be more momentous than it seems. There was a moment during the clash at Montilivi in which the Madrid fans threw their hands on their heads with resignation and disbelief.. It was when Mbappé clearly stole the ball with his hand, but the referee let him continue the play. The Frenchman stood alone and crossed the ball too far until he sent it wide. It was a bit of the last straw: a play in which the second yellow card was played and on top of that he missed it. But not long after, Modric told him where to go, he put the ball in and Kylian’s shot went past Gazzaniga, the Girona goalkeeper.
Not believing in the French star to think that more goals like this can come, That can’t be that difficult. From doubting, in short, Real Madrid because of their match in San Mamés and their start in Girona, to believing again.
If the injuries leave him, of course. Because every time a footballer on the team falls to the ground, Carlo Ancelotti swallows an entire pack of gum. Two fell in the crash: the first, Bellingham. And when he went to the ground, there was a shock throughout Real Madrid. Because you couldn’t be more unlucky. The English midfielder had scored his fifth consecutive goal, had set up Güler’s goal and had shown himself to be the undisputed leader that Ancelotti had asked for the day before. The Italian coach placed him in midfield, with Valverde and Modric behind and with Güler and Brahim on each side. Thus Jude runs fewer meters, makes less efforts, arrives at the area in time to finish, as happened in Miguel Gutiérrez’s clearance that converted into a goal and, in addition, makes the team press higher. All are advantages with Bellingham there. But let’s see what injury he has.
Mendy didn’t finish the game either.starter on the left wing, and that with the match resolved, he went to the ground because he couldn’t take it anymore. Ancelotti does not have enough defenders to not worry about the loss of another.
In Girona, the coach ssurprised by leaving Asencio on the bench and placing Tchouameni in his position. The Frenchman doesn’t like playing in such a deep position, but perhaps the time has come for him to learn that, in most cases, we are not the ones who decide which position we play in life. Tchouameni is a better defender than a midfielder and that is something he is going to have to learn from himself and it is best that he does it as soon as possible.
In the midfield, Ancelotti put Modric and Valverde on a line and it worked because the Croatian, as the minutes went by, missed one of his games, those that will be missed when he is not there. He refined the entire team and led them to dominate a game that had started in a very bad light.
Asprilla pulled an energetic Girona, which was looking for its spirit after losing in the Copa del Rey. A bit like Real Madrid, Míchel’s team has been looking for itself throughout this first stretch of the season and the clash against the current champion was a test to see how they were doing. Well, at first, for a while; something worse all the time afterwards.
The local team did not reap any fruit from their push, when they locked down Madrid and harassed Courtois’ goal. They did like Liverpool and Athletic: press, not give them a way out and steal very close to the area. He harassed Madrid, but he didn’t have very clear opportunities either. That’s why he left him alive.
And this time, finally,l Real Madrid stuck its head out to breathe and made no mistake when it took in the air. Bellingham was in charge and the team moved to the left, with Brahim moving close to the area. Güler, on the other side, went more unnoticed; Or was he just waiting for his moment, in the second half, to score a good goal on the run. Something that could help Ancelotti see him as more useful than up to now.
Bellingham had scored before and Madrid had won the game with a superiority that has not been seen much this season. He took the ball and did what he wanted with the rival. On Tuesday he has to confirm the good news.