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They were under pressure and many hoped – and wanted – that Real Madrid would lose to Sevilla at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán Stadium, but Zinedine Zidane’s men did what they do so often when everything goes against them. They won. Here, then, come three questions that were answered by this victory and three new ones that this party created.
Three responses
1. Would Real Madrid respond as they usually do?
When Real Madrid is under pressure and questioned, it is when they usually put out a great performance. If you expect him to lose because he’s been in bad shape and because he’s up against a strong team, think again. That’s exactly the kind of situation when they go out and win. It has already happened several times this season. They went to Barcelona after two defeats in a row and won. They went to Inter after a loss and a draw and won. He went to Sevilla after two defeats in a row and has won again. You can never write off this team.
2. Would Lucas Vázquez keep the right-back position?
Dani Carvajal is injured, but Álvaro Odriozola returned from injury this week and entered the call-up of the day. So, would he occupy the right back or would he trust Lucas Vázquez again? The answer was that Zidane returned to bet on Lucas and the right-back launched again as a right-back. He was barely tested in the first half, but he responded well when Sevilla started attacking from his side more often in the second half. Even in the absence of Carvajal, Odriozola has work to do if he wants to return to the team. Right now, it’s Lucas’s place to lose.
3. Who would start in goals with Sevilla?
This was the big pre-match question from Sevilla’s point of view, as regular starter Bono had just returned from the coronavirus and was not 100 percent, while substitute Tomáš Vaclík suffered an injury in the moments leading up to the match. Sevilla’s defeat to Chelsea on Wednesday. That meant 20-year-old Alfonso Pastor had to play in the England’s 4-0 win, but there was a chance that Bono would return for this weekend’s game. On Friday, Julen Lopetegui told the media that he was still not sure of Bono’s status, but that in the end he did introduce the Moroccan … and it was clear that he was not at his best. Bono was nervous from the start and was ultimately to blame for the goal. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. We cannot expect players to be immediately 100 percent when they return from COVID-19.
Three questions
1. Is Vinícius the best player to force goals at own goal?
The goal with which Real Madrid won this Saturday’s game will surely become Bono’s own goal, since the slightest touch from Vinícius was not going to roll through the back of the net without the intervention of the Sevilla goalkeeper . But it does not matter! It is one more example of Vinícius provoking an own goal and they count as much as those that are 100 percent his. Do you remember Kiko Olivas’ own goal against Real Valladolid? Yahia Nader’s against AI Ain in the Club World Cup? Even his goal in the February Classic, which happened like Vinícius’s, took a great detour from Gerard Piqué. We can talk all we want about the Brazilian’s finish, but the fact is that his mere presence makes things happen and pushes opposing defenders and goalkeepers into difficult situations, situations that can end in goals like today’s.
2. How many games in a row will Vinícius start?
With Eden Hazard out, this is a great opportunity for Vinícius to land a career on the team. He did not start in the middle of the week against Shakhtar Donetsk, but rather came off the bench, but entered this match early on in Seville. How many games can he start in the next few weeks? His best streak as a starter for Real Madrid was with the 12 games in a row that started in January and February 2019. It may be some time before we see the 20-year-old start a dozen consecutive games again, but he certainly can. enjoy a career on the wing in the absence of Hazard.
3. Will the team be fatigued on Wednesday after a single substitution has been made?
Zidane made only one change in this match, incorporating Marco Asensio for Rodrygo in the 66th minute. In his post-match press conference, the coach explained that he did not want to change things because he liked the way the team played. It worked for this game and helped Los Blancos score all three points, but could there be consequences on Wednesday against Borussia Mönchengladbach? Zidane always likes to rearrange his starting eleven, but the vast majority of the 11 starters this Saturday will also be in Wednesday’s starting eleven. Are they tired? Will they have enough energy for the challenge? We’ll find out soon.
