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The second Madrid derby of the 2020/21 season ended in a 1-1 draw, with Luis Suárez’s early goal annulled by Karim Benzema’s late draw. This was one of the biggest games of the season and raised a lot of pre-game questions, while the final result now raises even more.
Three responses
1. Would Benzema make it and who would start with him?
Although Karim Benzema was on the squad list, that didn’t mean he was going to start 100 percent. He had just recovered from an injury and Zinedine Zidane explained in his pre-match press conference that we would have to wait to see if the Frenchman would be there from the start. In the end, it did start and made the difference with the draw. Along with him, we had Rodrygo and Marco Asensio in the starting eleven. Both were very ineffective and only when they were replaced by Vinícius and Fede Valverde did Real Madrid improve. Valverde was particularly decisive in changing the momentum.
2. Would Atlético be offensive or defensive?
Many of the pre-game comments about Atlético came from experts who seemed not to have seen them this season. Yes, they used to play 4-4-2 every week. But now they play a more expansive brand of soccer and that is why they have been able to eliminate smaller teams and build an advantage at the top of the table. So for me, this was a question where I hoped the answer would be that Atleti would be attacking. And they were for most of the game. They scored an early goal, retreated a bit while still getting ahead of the men to create quality chances and then … in the final 10 minutes, they went into blocking mode by bringing in Geoffrey Kondogbia. He was supposed to add an extra defensive corps, but he seemed to just get in the way and played his part in Real Madrid’s draw before giving away a late free kick in a promising position as well.
3. Would Real Madrid take advantage of set pieces?
The first derby of the season saw Casemiro score from a corner to send Real Madrid to victory. So, could Real Madrid take advantage of set pieces again in this match? Well, no. Despite being the LaLiga team with the most headed goals this season, with 11, Real Madrid did not capitalize on their corners and fouls. Despite the fact that Atlético de Madrid committed four fouls in what I would call ‘the Kroos zone’ and although Real Madrid had six corners, the targets were a waste, especially with the free kick injury time that shot Luka Modrić. Atlético, meanwhile, defended these situations very well.
Three questions
1. Are Courtois and Oblak the two best goalkeepers in the world right now?
Luis Suárez was officially the man of the match, but it would be fair to say that the two best players on the field were Thibaut Courtois and Jan Oblak. They made four and seven saves respectively and some were sensational, frustrating Suárez and Benzema more than once. Do the two best goalkeepers on the planet live in the capital of Spain? I think so.
2. Was it a penalty against Felipe?
In the first half, in a Real Madrid corner, the ball hit Felipe’s arm. That is undeniable. But does that make it a penalty? That is the great topic of conversation in Spain after the derby and, believe me, it will be for several days. So let’s look at the actual official rules of handball and not some inaccuracies that are spreading on Twitter. Apart from some specific cases, which do not apply to Felipe’s scenario, the rules say that “it is not an infraction if the ball touches a player’s hand / arm if the hand / arm is close to the body and not to do the body abnormally larger “. For me, that clears it up. Felipe’s arm is close to his body at the moment the ball hits him and he is in a natural position for a player who has just jumped. For me, and for most of the neutrals in the Spanish media, it is not a penalty.
3. What does this mean for the title race?
Zidane said before this game, as he says before almost every game, that it was a final. If that’s the case, then Barcelona ‘won’ this final. The draw sees Barcelona’s two title rivals lose two points, crowning what has been a good week for them. The current situation is that Atleti leads with 59 points, Barcelona second with 56 and Real Madrid third with 54. But Atleti have one game less than their two main rivals, a match that will be played this Wednesday at home. to Athletic Club. Suddenly, that accessory became very important.
