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Zinedine Zidane saw his team draw on points with the LaLiga leaders, but not everything was easy for his players, despite having a men’s advantage.
Real Madrid found their way to three valuable points on a cold and rainy night in Valdebebas, resorting to the invaluable help of an oversight by Raúl García that gave them a man advantage from the 13th minute.
Here’s a look at Zinedine Zidane’s players in their 3-1 win over Athletic Club …
CUTS
He was there to deny Yeray point-blank but he could do nothing with Capa’s second effort that put him at the level of Athletic (despite blocking the initial effort well). And aside from some solid interventions that you’d expect the Belgian to deal with, it wasn’t really tested again until the 92nd minute, when Vesga was clean. That fast, strong hand could well have been the difference between victory and draw.
CARVAJAL
It was always unlikely that he would perform at the levels he reached against another team in red and white on Saturday, but his energy levels were good. It was slightly less intense and offered some accurate deliveries in the danger zone when in forward positions. You may have given away a penalty at the beginning, and generally a reminder, however, that you have just returned from injury.
VARANE
His intervention in the 85th minute to get a block was potentially crucial to the victory. Along with Ramos, they led much of the game, but possibly less than they should have given the man an advantage. Both he and his captain were slow to recover from the situation that led to the cup goal.
BOUQUETS
The captain had an intense duel with Raúl García from the beginning, one that could have given him a very different touch if the Navarrese striker had not been sent off. Arguably his best act of the game was when he dragged three defenders to give Benzema more room to score the second.
MENDY
He linked up with Vinicius in the last third on a few occasions and more could, or should, have come from that. His marking of De Marcos when he entered that area was quite solid, but at times the young Brazilian left him quite isolated.
MODRIC
With Isco struggling to regain his form and Odegaard injured, the little Croatian genius is proving to be a vital cog in much of the good of this Madrid team by advancing or controlling possession. Again in this game he showed a youthful exuberance to the game, at least in part, and alternated midfield duties with Kroos.
KROOS
Like Modric, the German still has what it takes to deliver critical performances and it will be important if Zidane is to savor any more successes this season. He ‘provoked’ Garcia’s second yellow card by intelligently moving the ball out of reach, and was also responsible for a large block when the goal seemed more likely. Then, of course, that hit came seconds before the halftime whistle.
VALVERDE
Due to Casemiro’s sanction, El Pajarito (little bird) had the opportunity to show something of the form that led to the immense accolades of last season. He didn’t take it fully, but this possibly had more to do with the way Zidane set him up, with less freedom to spread his wings.
LUCAS VÁZQUEZ
Playing ahead of Carvajal, just as he did in the 2-0 win over Atleti, Lucas has clearly impressed the manager with his contribution. Against Los Leanes, however, his early yellow card, stemming from his first foul, potentially prevented him from having as much influence. That being said, he showed flashes as he changed the wide game to get in at times.
VINICIUS
With another start, Vinicius seems too willing to make amends for his poor performances. Needs a good performance soon. His dribbling is not delivering enough and his shooting is somewhat erratic. He showed the engine inside a couple of times and maybe Zidane can tweak his tactics to suit his talents, moving the pieces around the field to free up more room to race. You can, at the very least, claim assistance for the Kroos rocket.
BENZEMA
Another two goals grab the headlines but the Frenchman needed them to make his mark on the game. There were several examples of his exquisite skill, one in particular where he fooled three Athletic defenders, but what matters is the goals. Benzema is the real threat on this side. Without him, Madrid seem toothless, but they need the right attacking players around them to bring out the best in them.
Source: m.allfootballapp.com
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