[ad_1]
Mariano Díaz scored his first goal of the season, but Real Madrid drew 1-1 at Villarreal in La Liga on Saturday.
Díaz had the ball in the net after two minutes played, heading into a Dani Carvajal cross when Villarreal called offside. In a rare first half, Dani Parejo headed over the bar before Carvajal slipped back behind the Villarreal defense, only to be disappointed by his touch.
After the break, Gerard Moreno shot across the field as Villarreal recovered the ball from a dangerous position, then converted a penalty when Thibaut Courtois dropped Samuel Chukwueze. Madrid were left waiting for a point as Takefusa Kubo, on loan, turned down an excellent late opportunity to win against his parent club.
– Stream ESPN FC daily on ESPN + (US only)
– ESPN + Spectator Guide: Bundesliga, Serie A, MLS, FA Cup and more
Positive
A combination of injuries and coronavirus saw Madrid enter this match without the backbone of the team, captain Sergio Ramos, key midfielder Casemiro and center forward Karim Benzema. as well as his substitute theorists, Eder Militao, Federico Valverde and Luka Jovic, to visit a Villarreal team two points and two places above them in the table. Under those circumstances, this was perhaps an acceptable result.
Madrid’s over-reliance on Benzema to score their goals is well known, so it was comforting to see them deliver without him. Diaz’s goal-per-minute ratio is exceptional and his problem in recent months has been one of attitude and opportunity rather than skill. He seems happy whether he plays or not, but if he was given a chance here, he took it.
Negative
Zinedine Zidane’s Real Madrid sometimes seem to struggle after an international break (see their two famous losses to newly promoted teams, Real Mallorca in October 2019 and Cádiz last month) and they take the time to find their rhythm again. They got a point here, but it was a largely average performance against an often disappointing Villarreal.
There is still a lot of work to do. Martin Odegaard was so impressive for Real Sociedad last season, the best player in La Liga in the first half of the campaign, and his return to Madrid was always meant to be anticlimactic, but so far he seems shy and lacking a clear role. . We are also expecting a decisive performance from Eden Hazard.
Featured
- Zidane, concerned about the health of the players, Real Madrid suffers from the injury of Ramos and Varane
2 RelatedManager rating out of 10
6 – Zidane expressed concern about the hectic roster of matches affecting the health of players this week, and with so many absences here he was forced to choose a makeshift XI based on the options available to him. That meant a hasty return for Dani Carvajal as a right back; no suitable defensive midfielder; and a rare Diaz appearance at the helm.
With Madrid up front, Zidane brought in Vinicius Junior and Isco, but neither of them had a positive impact, and it was the Brazilian who contributed to Villarreal’s draw by losing the ball. Coach management in the game will face more questions now.
Player ratings (1-10; 10 = best. Players submitted after 70 minutes are not rated)
GK Thibaut Courtois, 6 years old – Madrid have conceded more goals lately, but that’s due to general fragility rather than a drop in Courtois’ form. He couldn’t cope with a Parejo free kick, and then he gave away the penalty. Nice late stop from Kubo.
DF Dani Carvajal, 7 – He hadn’t played since hurting his knee in September, but got an early assist on his return and could have caught another shortly after. Carvajal is very important for Madrid for the future.
DF Raphael Varane, 7 – His slight shoulder injury with France was a scare, but the absence of Ramos and Militao forced him to perform here. He had to lead the defense and used his speed to come back and deal with Moreno in the end.
DF Nacho, 7 – His first game since suffering a hamstring injury in the October Classic. Nacho isn’t the defender he once was, his participation has dropped dramatically since 2019, but he was solid here, with a major interception early in the second half.
DF Ferland Mendy, 6 years old He has never yet experienced defeat as a starter for Real Madrid in La Liga. Strong in defense.
MF Toni Kroos, 6 – His midfield battle with Dani Parejo saw the two best midfielders in the League go head-to-head. He played very well at Carvajal in the first half and then got his team into trouble early in the second when he was trying to play from behind.
MF Luka Modric, 7 years old – With so many other senior players absent, Modric’s role here was more important than ever. He’s been in exceptional shape lately and sometimes it seems impossible to strip him.
MF Martin Odegaard, 6 years old – His first La Liga outing since September. Odegaard has yet to find his place in this Real Madrid team and it seems that Zidane has not figured out the best way to use it. Replaced early by Isco.
Mariano Díaz took advantage of a rare opportunity to play, scoring just two minutes at Villarreal. Photo by Jose Breton / Pics Action / NurPhoto via Getty Images
FROM Lucas Vázquez, 6 – Performing well as a right-back in the absence of Carvajal, Lucas demonstrates the value of having such a versatile and easy-going player on the squad. An enthusiastic pressure in the first half to almost get the ball back was an example of his qualities.
FW Eden Hazard, 6 – Testing positive for the coronavirus was a setback after his scream against Huesca three weeks ago seemed to finally kick off Hazard’s career at Real Madrid. Involved from the start, but faded a lot and was the first retired man.
FROM Mariano Díaz, 7 – His first start since May 2019, having played just 90 minutes of La Liga in total in the last 18 months. Zidane is reluctant to pick him, but the lack of attacking alternatives here meant he had no other choice, and he was rewarded with a goal very early. He subsequently hit the post from an offside position.
Substitutes
Source: espn.co.uk
[ad_2]
