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In Sunday’s post-match press conference, Zinedine Zidane : “What changed today is the result, that we scored the chances we made, nothing else.” However, there is always a tale to tell, especially when it co🐻mes to🅷 Real Madrid and this week’s 7-1 thrashing of Deportivo de La Coruña was no different.
Cristiano Ronaldo made the𓆏 head🌸lines after taking a boot to the head when scoring a very valiant header, but it was Gareth Bale who got the standing ovation and was the reason behind a pervading brisk smile among the crowd.
He has played a significant part in the games in which he has appeared as a substitute this season and he was arguably the best attacking player Real 🅰had on the field last week against Villarreal.
After suffering from numerous injuries, the Welshman has managed to put his time on the sidelines behind him. He is currently the top scorer of the team with seven goals, despite missing out aꦅ handful of games.
With the league, all but theoretically over for R🥃eal Madrid, the hefty 7-1 win was important in many way🅷s.
Real’s slump has put them 19 points behind arch-rivals, Barcelona, and they are cu꧃rrently sitting fourth on the table. The win, dare we say resurrection, over Deportivo La Coruna could mean a turnaround for ♉Real Madrid.
Here are the five talking points of the tie…
Gareth Bale – the long-awaited return of the Welshmen
Real Madrid have had their fair share of creating chances in matches, half or full – they squandered them ♔all. The quality of t💟he chances was missing and misguided crosses were thrown to yield no results. Bale has brought the finishing-touch back to the team and his ability to run past defenders, creating space for an extra touch, has helped his side in scoring.
Bale, for the first goal against Deportivo, chested down the baಌll, took a touch and curled it around the defender past the goalkeeper – a famed finish he has personified over the years. He dominated the flank and his understanding with Dani Carvajal and Luka Modric was transparent. Meanwhile, his second reminded the hosts how they have missed him in the air.
For a team like Madrid, with players like Ronaldo, Ramos, Casemiro, Varane, and Benzema, scoring headers should be a norm. Although the case in the past, this term they have failed to repꦇlicate the sဣame dominance in the air and the Welshman has reminded the crowd what he is capable of in this respect.
Squad rotation
Squad rotation has played a massive role in Real’s recent triumphs and Zidane deserves credit for this. However, this season, the qua🍒lity from the bench is not there. The contribution from the substitutes is lacking and their inefficiency to provide something concrete has let the team down.
Zidane stuck to his usual principles by putting out a B-team against Leganes for the club’s Cop♒a del Ray clash, resting his star players.
Perhaps for the first time in the season, the squad looked fresher and near 100ꩵ% if not fully fit.
This victory was a hard-earned one – Marco Asensio’s beautiful finish averted the eyes from an awful 🍨performance, b🧔ut they managed to get the result.
That allowed the ageing squღad members to take a breather and the performance against Deportivo was the subsequent result.
Luc𝄹as Vasquez and Mateo Kovacic 🐟were substituted and since contributed to the win, with the former providing an assist and the latter holding up the ball masterfully during the counter-attack, finished by Modric a few seconds later.
A comeback for BBC
The decision to switch back to 4-3-3, with no Isco on the field, asserted the fact that Real is a better side with a front three, instead of a🐈 no. 10 behind two strikers. Due to various injuries, it had been more 270 days since the famous trio were in action and it is clear that Madrid have dearly missed them.
Borja Mayoral started up front against Deportivo, only to be substituted by Karim Benzema, who has recently recovered from the injury. 4-3-3 resolved the issues Real were facing with a 4-4-2 diamond. The overlapping 𝄹runs were seamless and during the transition, it was easy to defend. What that means for the future Isco is a separate𒊎 debate.
The midfield three
It has been quite a while since fans have seen the midfield trio of Luka Modric, Casemiro, and Toni Kroos in full swing. As glamorous as it was, the link-up play had become damaged🎐 and Casemiro’s defensive cover was not provin🌠g up to par.
Agaꦗinst Deportivo, however, they we𝓰re back to their brilliant best.
Casemiro bossed the game, winning seven balls, while weighing with a 92.3% pass success percentage and a brilliant lofted cross that was buried into the net by Ronaldo. He has been labeled as Claude Makélélé of Zidane’🐷s Madrid – rightfully so, as well.
The link-up play between Kroos and Modric was also improved. The former didn’t suffer defensively, like he has done in his recꩲent outings and his confidence seemed restored. Meanwhile, the latter scored a screamer, while proving his understanding with Bale is far greater than that with either🐻 Lucas Vasquez or Marco Asensio.
Lackadaisical defending
The big guns fired for Real Madrid, as Bale and Ronaldo both scored braces on Sunday, but the fact is that victory came against a struggling team – although Real needed a win like this to make a statement and build some momentum before the Paris Saint Germain showdown on Valentine’s day (you can predict this result with ).
In hindsight, the defensive frailties are still there to solve. Raphael Varane is solid, almost, and the Frenchman is having a great season. A downside to his game is his partnership with virtually 🅠anyone but Sergio Ramos – who is out due to injury.
In Ramos’ absence, Nacho Fernandez comes in♑. As good as they both have been individually, the un🍨derstanding is not there – at least not yet.
Marcelo has improved his attacking play. He is great going forward but the concern is still there when it comes to tracking back, especially when the likes Neymar and Kyliann Mbappe will be running the show ♊down the flanks.
Against𓃲 Deportivo, Dani Carva꧑jal had a solid game after some time and Nacho was undoubtedly the best defender of the night – scoring two goals and cleared one off the line with a brilliant sliding tackle.
A wi📖n like this could definitely boost the morale of a team which has been underperforming quite significantly. However, Real should not get too complacenꦫt with the victory as the tougher fixtures lie ahead.
