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In the first leg of their quarter-final against Liverpool, Real Madrid scored an impressive 3-1 victory as they dominated throughout and could even have won by a bigger margin. The keys to that victory are discussed below, with Euan McTear reporting from Valdebebas in his usual three answers and three questions.
Three responses
1. No Varane. So what would Zidane do?
The drama of this quarter-final first leg began eight hours before kick-off with the news that Raphaël Varane had tested positive for COVID-19. It was such an important blow. So what would Zidane do? Well he went for a 4-3-3. Would he have stayed with the 3-5-2 from recent games if Varane had been available? This could be brought up at the press conference and we could find out, but what we do know is that the 4-3-3 – which was tilted towards the left side of Real Madrid while Benzema was so often in the over Trent Alexander-Arnold – worked. brilliantly.
2. How would Real Madrid treat the Liverpool press?
“Intensity. They have so much intensity. That was one of the main descriptions of Liverpool arriving in this tie and one of the big doubts was how Real Madrid would handle their press, especially with the disappearance of Sergio Ramos. But, they handled it well. Nacho, Éder Militão and Thibaut Courtois were all calm under the pressure, while also knowing when to throw the ball to Row Z (well, Di Stéfano didn’t really of Row Z, but you know…). The long balls designed were also part of Real Madrid’s strategy, often in the direction of Vinícius, who has done so well to bring them down or to make the right course on these fields since the Heaven. And that also helps when Toni Kroos plays a lot of those long balls. His ball for Vinícius’ goal was his 85th long ball completed in the Champions League this season, a crazy statistic when no other player has more than 56. .
3. How would Ramos’ absence be felt?
By now we all know Real Madrid’s Champions League stats without Ramos. In their last 11 European games without him, there had been eight losses and three wins. So how much would they miss Ramos in this first leg and in this draw? Well, with Nacho and Militão each having strong performances at the back, they actually didn’t miss Ramos too much on the pitch, if at all. As for Ramos’ leadership, well, they still have it even though he wasn’t there. Ramos was sitting in the stands yelling and yelling advice and encouragement throughout the game. “Everyone is standing!” “Back to the” keeper! ” “Be careful!” There was also a tip for the referee… I could hear him clearly from where I was sitting and I wasn’t even that close to him. So you can bet Real Madrid players have heard it too. Ramos was very present in this big night for Real Madrid, at least as a leader.
Three questions
1. How good will this be for Vinícius’ confidence?
It was Vinícius’ night. Partly because he was a key part of Zidane’s game plan and partly because he had one of his best performances of his young career. It’s not just the goals, as his overall play and dribbling was good too, but both goals clearly stand out. Now you must be wondering where Vinícius could go from here. All the greats of the past two decades have had a Champions League exit game and it could turn out to be Vinícius. And that also comes from a good performance in Atalanta’s second leg.
2. Will Real Madrid come to regret Asensio’s failures?
Marco Asensio did well too, scoring the second goal. His form has really picked up over the past two weeks, but he could and probably should have scored another goal. There was a chance late in the first half after an error by Ozan Kabak, a 64th minute head-to-head just before the 3-1 and then yet another chance in the 67th minute that could have made 4-1, when he couldn’t quite turn around and shoot the box. Asensio was taken out soon after and can be happy with his contribution, but Ousmane Dembélé has a story to tell about missing some good chances in a first leg against Liverpool …
3. Will Zidane go for the same roster in the second leg?
Ferland Mendy and Fede Valverde were the only players at risk of suspension and neither have been booked, so Zidane will have largely the same players available for the return leg. Maybe there’s another injury or maybe Dani Carvajal or Eden Hazard can come back, but it should essentially be the same group of options. So, will he go for the same starting XI? Remember, there is obviously El Clásico between now and next Wednesday’s second leg. But it wouldn’t be a big surprise to see Zidane go for the same setup. Liverpool surely won’t. For many reasons, but one was how much better they got when Thiago arrived. Let’s see, but for now it’s a big result to be savored for Real Madrid.
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