After the Girona fiasco, Real Madrid redeemed itself against an opening act from Almería. A very picturesque match for the whites, with artistic touches from Vinicius and Rodrygo —both retired with discomfort—, with Benzema as a fine-tuned scorer, with Ceballos for everything. Only a couple of defensive inattentions gave flight to Almería, who was about to take a considerable beating. Rodrygo and Camavinga missed two goals for being out of place, the posts interfered with Benzema and Asensio (twice)… Madrid with the mallet against an opponent with their minds in their remaining games with those of his graduation.
4
Courtois, Eder Militao, Camavinga, Rüdiger, Lucas Vázquez, Dani Ceballos, Aurelien Tchouameni, Kroos (Nacho, min. 71), Benzema, Vinicius Junior (Dani Carvajal, min. 82) and Rodrygo (Marco Asensio, min. 72)
2
Fernando Martínez, Rodrigo Ely, Akieme (Gonzalo Melero, min. 74), Chumi, Houboulang Mendes, Arnau Martínez (Eguaras, min. 56), Samuel Costa (Álex Centelles, min. 74), Portillo, César De la Hoz (Lucas Robertone, min. 56), Ramazani (Luis Suárez, min. 64) and Lazaro
goals 1-0 min. 5: Benzema. 2-0 min. 17: Benzema. 3-0 min. 42: Benzema. 3-1 min. 45: Lazarus. 4-1 min. 47: Rodrigo. 4-2 min. 60: Lucas Robertone.
Referee Guillermo Cuadra Fernandez
Yellow cards Vinicius Junior (min. 36), Lazaro (min. 66), Houboulang Mendes (min. 67) and Camavinga (min. 73)
In Chamartín there was no match, if by such is meant a challenge between two. The Bernabéu thing was not, with Real Madrid he plays solitaire against an Almería overloaded with reservists. Rubi, on alert with the duel on Tuesday with Elche, his League, pulled the broom truck and ordered eight changes with respect to the team that won the previous day in Getafe. A capital bargain for a suffering Madrid after the horror in Girona. Almost nothing was saved Carlo Ancelotti, willing to heal the wound, no matter how much they press the Cup final next Saturday and City.
With the echo of white delinquency in Girona, there was no Madrid delay. As always, with Vinicius on pole. And with Benzema (14 goals before the match) attacking top scorer Lewandowski (19). His best domestiques, Vinicius and Rodrygo, insisted on pleasing the captain. Five minutes later, it was Vinicius’s turn, who took Mendes out of the chain with a mocking bow that left the African stiff as a stalactite. Benzema reached the triumphant breath. And he almost sings another bingo with the umpteenth fancy of his Brazilian colleague. A blind heeled pass that the Frenchman finished off with a shot into Fernando’s hands.
Rodrygo, who did not want to be less than comrade Vinicius, sealed one of the most Versailles-like plays of the championship. The paulista received a pass from Lucas enchironado on one side of the goal line. Samu had him arrested… A mirage. The Brazilian shook it off with a cue touch with which he dragged the ball behind his bailiff. A delight that Benzema did not miss. It was his night, another one. Especially when Ramazani caught Lucas inside the area. The Frenchman certified the penalty hat-trick. By the way, he surpassed Hugo Sánchez as the fourth top scorer in the League. For the captain, 236, not far from Zarra (253), and several orbits from Cristiano (311) and Messi (473).
Madrid overwhelmed Almería, who couldn’t find the ball or the match, subdued by the local attackers and by a brilliant manager of the game: Dani Ceballos. The Andalusian has not been just a football curroromerista for a long time. Today he has a run and roll up his sleeves.
Vinicius is not lacking in rolling up his sleeve either, who goes from hot to hot. It doesn’t matter how the game goes. There is no appointment without anger from the Brazilian to the referee, whether for major issues or trifles. This time the tenth card was won, a sentence for Tuesday’s match in Anoeta. Vinicius has double figures in everything, he also has ten goals and as many assists, figures that only Griezmann improves.
At the end of the first act, the white team lowered the volume and in one of the very few outings of the Almería team, Lázaro lowered the rout with the local rearguard in field and beach mode. Back from intermission, Rodrygo, in one breath, made it 4-1 with a withering shot from outside the area.
Little by little, Rubi was recruiting starters (Robertone, Luis Suárez, Centelles, Melero) to give the team another bone. The game was already unleashed, with Madrid close to Fernando and Almería something more expansive. And encouraged by Kroos, who took a pass in his area lightly. Portillo thanked him and Robertone nailed Courtois with a terminal header. That was where Rubi’s group stayed, while Real chained one occasion after another. And some scare. Rodrygo treated with ice on the bench just before Vinicius asked for the change. Of course, with Ancelotti at the helm, no one remembered Hazard. The only thing that counts are Osasuna and City.
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