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Shakhtar’s game was Madrid’s last European disaster without its captain. Since 2018, the team has suffered defeats to Ajax, PSG, City and CSKA …
Real Madrid’s chaotic performance in the first half against Shakhtar Donetsk once again illustrated the importance of Sergio Ramos’s influence on the team. In Europe, whenever they have been without him, Madrid is falling apart. The magic that accompanied the team’s eleventh and thirteenth European crowns is long gone. And since then, when Ramos has not been available due to suspension or injury, Madrid have been apathetic and leaderless. It was evident in the final game of the Champions League last season, when Zidane’s side were beaten 2-1 in Manchester on a night Varane will be dying to forget. It happened again in the first group game of this season’s edition with Militão seemingly miles away and to blame for much of Madrid’s sloppy defense. Last night both players, Varane for not showing leadership in the absence of Ramos and Militão for lack of attitude, have been attacked …
Madrid, weak without Ramos in Europe
And there have been other games in which Madrid has disintegrated without its captain. In the 2017-18 season, Juventus came close to eliminating a Madrid without Ramos by beating 1-3 in the first leg of the quarter-finals. Then there was the humiliating 1-4 loss to Ajax at the Bernabéu during the season when the club went through three coaches: Lopetegui, Solari and Zidane. Without Ramos, Madrid lost at home and away to CSKA that same season (1-0 and 0-3). Last season, with Zidane at the helm, the Varane-Militão pair were eliminated by PSG when they finished 3-0 at the Parc des Princes and Madrid were exposed once again in Europe without their leader.
Bouquets lost the Shakhtar game after being hit in the knee against Cadiz on the weekend. Madrid fell behind already in the 13th minute against an opponent with most of their first-option players self-isolated after positive coronavirus tests and still managed to open the scoring in a heads-up with Courtois. After that, instead of getting better, it got worse. The Ukrainians put three past Madrid in the first 45 minutes and it could easily have been four or five. The view of Militant retreating at an almost pedestrian pace in the movement that led to the third goal shocked Pedja Mijatovic, commenting on Carrusel Deportivo, who exclaimed: “I don’t know what happens with the Madrid centrals but my God …”
The result could have been worse for Madrid
Yes Militão It was the fault, Casemiro, EarlyY Marcelo they weren’t much better: the left-back was caught on the field several times and couldn’t come back. Ferland mendy, a naturally left-handed defender playing out of position as an improvised right-back was the only one who gave a good account. Dentinho I lost a golden opportunity to make 1-4 in 55 minutes and Teté He could have made it 2-4 in another heads-up with Courtois in the 68th minute. Teté was caught offside when Marlos he had the ball in the back of the net with 10 minutes remaining in normal time. Madrid’s defense was simply not the standard you would expect from a team aiming to win the Champions League, as both Cuts Y Zidane affirmed in the press conference before the game.
The worst thing for Zidane is that Wednesday’s lesson could leave psychological scars. Varane admitted that he struggled to regain concentration after his two costly mistakes at Etihad in August. This latest defeat, which includes an own goal, will only add salt to wounds. Meanwhile, Ramos is not getting any younger and his contract expires in 2021 …
Source: m.allfootballapp.com
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