Passed and failed for Madrid in Valencia: Vinicius, everywhere at the same time
Everything is everywhere at once. It didn’t star Michelle Yeoh, but Vinicius. He focused Mestalla’s anger on the warm-up. It was expected. They booed him and said: “What a fool you are!” sung by thousands of throats. In the midst of this maelstrom, he made a blunder on his pitch that led to Valencia’s first goal. The second, even more rude, this time from Carvajal. And the rest of the duel: Blame…. and Gil Manzano. Two goals from the Brazilian, one an attack, the other a header. Two holidays. The first, the image of the night, with a raised fist a la Tommy Smith. And MVP. Madrid almost burned down, came out of hell alive and ended in monumental wrath. Titanico for a goal disallowed by Bellingham. Gil Manzano whistled just as center Brahima came out of his boot… The inexplicable ending that Netflix couldn’t record.
Lunin: appears again when the goalkeeper must do so. For the first two goals they left him sold. However, in the second half, as Madrid tried to level the score, Lunin became a giant against Diego Lopez in a one-on-one match where he closed all the existing gaps. And at the horn he parried Peter Federico’s poisonous long-range shot. Courtois will return, that’s certain, but Ancelotti can rest easy with his starting goalkeeper.
Carvajal: Leganense returned after the sanction and found itself in a stampede. Valencia’s pressure was heavy on Carvajal early in the match and thus the 2-0 score was set up. The team tried to help out Lunin, but found Yaremchuk, who finished masterfully. A blunder that woke up Karwa. From his right boot, after a successful send-off, the assist was heard, with the help of which Vinicius reduced the gap.
Chuameni: We already foresaw this in AS. Ancelotti suspected that Aurelien would be placed next to Rudiger at the Mestalla. That’s how it all happened. And it didn’t disappoint. The centre-back suit suits him, although it doesn’t bother him, and he had to clear the ball under the suffocating pressure of Che’s team. He made no mistakes and was confident in the fights he faced. In the second half, he played brilliantly in several difficult games.
Rüdiger: A two-goal first half could result in a pair of centre-backs finding the back of the net. This was not the case. Both Tchouameni and the German had good control over the “managed” parties. However, two blunders prevented them from reacting. Rüdiger paid attention to his defensive partner and showed that the injury had been forgotten.
Mendi (72′): This is not negotiable in tense meetings. Ancelotti falls in love with his defensive reliability. It provides balance and is difficult to find when in failure. The danger came from two errors and Ferland covered his flank well except for one play in the second half when he lost his target and Diego Lopez almost made it 3–1. Of course, with the need to return, Carletto He brought in Fran Garcia with much more flight.
Valverde (86′): Fede played a great match as a bodyguard in midfield. Brave on the ball, intercepts hard and takes good shots… until he makes a mistake. A botched change of play began a series of catastrophic failures that ended with the score 1-0 in favor of Hugo Duro. The error did not go away, it continued to appear. He forced Mamardashvili to intervene with a 25-metre strike late in the first half to make it 2-1 with a sensational opener from Carvajal.
Camavinga (72′): Another game in the starting lineup. As a midfielder, because he sometimes shared central work with Kroos. Of course, in the defensive phase, Kama was responsible for closing up and trying to impose his physicality on a crowded and very hard-working local midfield. Things were a little murky at first, like in Madrid, but things grew as the minutes passed. Very present on the opposite side thanks to good driving. Great match.
Kroos (63′): This is a metronome. It always is. Also in Mestalla (85/89 in passes, 96%). Although the German failed to impose his rhythm of play, he was blown away by two errors that were converted into goals in the first half. The team gradually calmed down, supported by Toni, but it was not a good day for Kroos, who saw Modric take his place in the final push.
Bellingham: surprise eleven. Or not really, he already warned Carletto in the previous one. The Englishman sped his way back to the green and took off. To protect him from overexertion, the Italian trainer practically put him nine. And not fake. A striker who could be relied upon and who stood in the back line twice in the opening minutes. But he failed to unbalance him. Yes, he did it in the second part. He broke Che’s entire defense and lost the fight to Mamardashvili, a Georgian. The best news is that he’s back. He scored… but Gil Manzano whistled before the shot. As a result, he was expelled. Inexplicable ending.
Rodrigo (63′): He tried, he tried to unite football in Real Madrid’s darkest moments, but Rodrigo couldn’t make the difference. His contribution, precision in formation (he missed only one pass) and defensive dedication (he won four matches) are undeniable, although he could not put a stop to good intentions.
Vinicius: all the spotlights were directed at him. Madrid coaxed the crowd into the Mestalla in an attempt to calm the tension, but once inside the stadium truly roared against the Brazilian. “You are so stupid! “Vinicius, what a fool you are!” – rang out in chorus. Previously, whistling during the warm-up. And after the Brazilian’s first protest against Foulquier’s push near the site, the decibels increased. But Vinny He was the main character throughout. Also on his own pitch, when the defender himself, who was lame, stole his wallet, resulting in Valencia’s first goal. The highlight came on the break when he sent Carvajal’s cross into the net. First, anger. Then look at Curva Nord and raise your fist. A global gesture in the fight against racism. Party image. This activated it. In the second half, he more or less successfully achieved his presence. He tried, as always, and in the end he was determined, as almost always. He scored a double with his head, celebrated… and started a fight with a celebration that could have been avoided. Everywhere.
They also played
Brahim (63′): The victim of Bellingham’s comeback… but he soon showed that he didn’t care much about when. When he first touched the ball, he looked for a Modric-style goal with the outside of his boot. Shortly after, he sent in a silky cross which Vinicius converted to equalize. And at the last moment he found Bellingham for the winning goal, but Gil Manzano, flying through the middle, blew the final whistle. It’s nice, it’s normal that Spain and Morocco are fighting for him.
Modric (63′): After a few matches where his fame waned, Luka is important again. The decisive match against Sevilla with his goal and trusting Ancelotti for more than half an hour to try to find the miracle that clings to his magic. Very intense and participatory.
Fran Garcia (73′): his role is clear, repulsive. If a game calls for vertigo, Fran jumps onto the field. Although this time he did not manage to carry a single dangerous cross.
Joselu (73′): The striker didn’t get much into the game because his teammates couldn’t find him.
Nacho (86′): He came on the field in the last minutes and took part in a dangerous mess on the court. Ancelotti preferred to save his physical fitness (he has discomfort) for Leipzig.