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Real Madrid already have three points in the Champions League table, which they only achieved in November during last year’s edition. Their 1-0 victory at Inter puts them in an excellent position to progress and this raised new questions, as well as addressing some of the doubts we had before the game. We will take a look.
Three responses
1. How would Real Madrid cope with the speed of European football?
The start of Ancelotti’s second stint at the helm of Real Madrid had been largely positive, but it was all in La Liga so far. The pace of the Spanish Premier League has nothing to do with the fast pace of elite European football and, when they faced Levante, the only fast-paced Spanish team they have encountered so far, the Real Madrid have struggled. So how would they fare here in the San Siro spotlight? Well, not good at first. Inter just looked faster with every ball and more urgent than Los Blancos. But, as Ancelotti pointed out in his post-match press conference, Inter’s frenetic pace made them tired and Real Madrid were finally able to capitalize. Maybe Real Madrid have yet to reach the top speed of the Champions League, but if they have the ability to outlast their opponents and the quality to take them out late in games when they are at Running out of gas, it might work. Like Homer Simpson’s boxing strategy, let the opponent run out.
2. What would Lucas Vázquez do on the right wing?
At this point in his career, Lucas Vázquez is more of a right-back than a right-winger. Last season, for example, he played two-thirds of his games at right-back. It was therefore a bit of a surprise to see him deployed on the right of attack for this one. Ancelotti has said over and over again in his pre and post-match press conferences that he thinks the experience is important for Champions League nights like this and, after spinning the ball. with so much confidence before taking a penalty in the 2016 shootout at that same stadium, Lucas has it. So that explains the reasoning for putting Lucas on the right wing. But, it just didn’t work. He came back up, as he always will, but Lucas offered next to nothing on offense in his 65 minutes. It wasn’t until Rodrygo came on that Real Madrid had a balanced attack.
3. Would Arturo Vidal be sent off this time around?
Arturo Vidal’s Chapter 15 against Real Madrid has not been as dramatic as some in the past. For some reason Vidal has decided he hates no club more than Real Madrid and he still dives into any clash with Los Blancos full of rage and fury. He was sent off in that same game last year, the second time he was fired against Real Madrid, following his 2016/17 red card with Bayern Munich as well. Unfortunately for all fans of football shenanigans, Vidal was only featured for the last 25 minutes of this game, so he didn’t have much time to stir up tensions. Although Vidal’s recent comments about Chile’s referee against Brazil saw Militão’s girlfriend trying to start a social media argument with the midfielder as she watched the game. It’s never boring with Arturo Vidal, even when he keeps his cool himself.
Three questions
1. Is Militão-Alaba Ancelotti’s premier partnership?
When Ancelotti named the three Éder Militão, David Alaba and Nacho on the squad sheet, it was logical to think that Alaba would play left-back and that Militão and Nacho would be the central defensive partnership, as was the case against Alavés. and against Levante. But no. It was Nacho at left-back this time, with Militão and Alaba the central defensive duo. It was only the Brazilian and Austrian’s second game together in central defense, the other being in the 1-0 win over Real Betis. As a result, Real Madrid’s only two clean sheets of the season came in the only two games where Militão and Alaba were the center-defensive duo. It is true that they were not really very strong in this game at San Siro, allowing the Inter forwards to reach so many balls in the box. But it appears to be the premier partnership with Ancelotti center-back. He even said after the game that Alaba would play in the middle, as long as there was no injury crisis in the other positions.
2. What about Rodrygo and the Champions League?
Rodrygo loves the Champions League. It’s pretty amazing how much more frequently he scores in this competition compared to any other. In 675 minutes of the Champions League, he has six goals for a pace of one every 113 minutes. In 2,194 minutes in all of Real Madrid’s other competitions, he has scored four goals for a pace of one every 549 minutes. What makes Rodrygo so much more dangerous in Europe?
3. Can Real Madrid qualify with a lap to lose?
Five days from the end, it is still very early. Very early. But, that said, Real Madrid have already taken three points in the group’s toughest game and have seen Shakhtar Donetsk, the group’s third-best team, bow to Sheriff Tiraspol. They are already in an excellent position to move on to the next round. Unlike in previous seasons, your first opponent in a Champions League group is now your last opponent – and not your penultimate opponent, as was the case last season and before – so Real Madrid will not have the rematch against Inter before the group’s final round. Could they already be qualified by then or even be assured of the first place? Considering the results of the two meetings of this group this Wednesday evening, it is a strong possibility.
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