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Karim Benzema was absent from Real Madrid training on Sunday before the Atalanta game, along with several other senior players.
Real Madrid did enough to overcome Valladolid on Saturday and reduce Atlético de Madrid’s deficit at the top of the league table to three points, but despite overcoming more adversities due to injuries at José Zorrilla, Casemiro scored the winning goal in a set. -The piece will have had Zinedine Zidane thinking about the Champions League before the whistle sounded. The absence of Karim Benzema, Madrid’s focus of attack, is the latest in a long streak of blows and annoyances that Zidane has been forced to deal with this season and, at least in the short term, could prove the most damaging.
Atalanta, a difficult prospect in Europe
Madrid face Gian Piero Gasperini’s Atalanta in the opening match of the Champions League The round of 16 at the Stadio di Bergamo on February 24, a match that is unprecedented in European competition. Atalanta has only played a Spanish team once before in a competitive continental match, beating Valencia 8-4 on aggregate last season.. Gasperini’s animators operate with a suffocating press and score goals through the hat; only Inter Milan have more in Serie A in 2020-21.
Zidane’s team, meanwhile, has been fighting in that department this season to their own standards, being the result of Valladolid the eleventh time that Madrid scored one of less in LaLiga in 2020-21. After that game, Zidane said: “We are not going to risk [Benzema]. If it’s not ready, it won’t be used. “
Benzema’s fitness could be key for the Champions League premiere
On Monday a final decision will be made on Benzema’s form, but the triple attack by Mariano, Vinicius and Marco Asensio hardly bothered Valladolid and Zidane has little in reserve at the moment with Eden Hazard and Rodrygo also out, Luka Jovic out and some of the more offensive defenders like Sergio Ramos and Marcelo also on the bench.
Against Valladolid, Zidane gave Hugo Duro a debut, but he’s unlikely to put the Castilla prospect into the fray in Bergamo, while another forward, Lucas Vázquez, has been filling in for the absent Dani Carvajal.
As has been the case in recent games, It seems increasingly likely that Zidane will bring only 13 older players to Italy with the bench occupied mainly by Castilla players.
Source: m.allfootballapp.com
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