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Martin Ødegaard started his second consecutive league game with Real Madrid. The reigning league champions achieved their first win of the season, returning to victory after the break.
It happened without Martin Ødegaard on the field. Real Madrid had a weak first half and coach Zinédine Zidane made changes in the opening minutes to get a response from his team.
This meant that the Norwegian was already replaced during the break and had to watch his teammates win from the bench.
Sergio Ramos was once again the hero of the capital team when he scored the decisive penalty just ten minutes before the end of regulation time.
Photo: Marcelo Del Pozo / Reuters
In a soccer match with five goals but few scoring chances, it was the VAR and the referee who left the most impression.
He turned the game around in two minutes
It was Ødegaard’s teammate, Federico Valverde, who gave Madrid the advantage after just a quarter of an hour. Karim Benzema led a carousel with the Betis defense and hit the Uruguayan who put the ball into goal from three meters away.
Betis came back and were up and better than Madrid after the visiting team’s leading goal. They were rewarded for their efforts ten minutes before the break.
In no time they had turned the game around and both times Martin Ødegaard was involved in the setbacks.
William Carvalho had zero goals in the Betis kit before this year’s season. Now the Portuguese has scored in both rounds of the series in 2020/21.
Photo: Cristina Quicler / AFP
Team midfielder Aïssa Mandi headed in the equalizer after a corner variant where the Drammen player had to knock out two men at the same time and missed Sergio Canales, who put the ball into Mandi’s head.
Just over two minutes later, it was midfielder William Carvalho, who scored in the second game in a row, who ran free from Ødegaard and shot the ball at Thibaut Courtois before the Norwegian managed to block.
Taken out during the break
Martin Ødegaard once again had an anonymous evening in the first round in Seville. The Norwegian often played the safe option when he hit the ball high up the field and was not good enough in the defensive press play on both setbacks.
Zinédine Zidane was clearly dissatisfied with the team’s efforts. Just before the break Toni Kroos ran for Luka Modric and during the break Martin Ødegaard had to leave the field in favor of Isco.
Ødegaard must look over his shoulder for a starting job in the future after being replaced in the two league games so far.
Photo: Angel Fernandez / AP
– It was a very loose game. It could replace four and five of those who started, says TV 2 expert commentator Jesper Mathisen.
Of them, it was Ødegaard who had to give in.
VAR help
The exchanges accelerated at Real Madrid. Three minutes of the second half were missed before it was 2-2, from an own goal by Emerson.
The pain worsened for the Brazilian right-back when halfway through the second half he prevented Luka Jovic when the Serbian was left alone with the goalkeeper. After a VAR check, the Betis player had to leave the court with a loose ball after showing him the red card.
Real Madrid did not impress in terms of play against ten men, but finally managed to break through the defense of the greens and whites.
For ten minutes before full time, the VAR again stormed in favor of Real Madrid. Betis cap Marc Bartra used his arm in a duel with Borja Mayoral and after seeing the situation on repeat, the referees signaled the penalty.
Sergio Ramos was the image of self-confidence and pride when he returned to being safety even from the penalty spot and tipped the ball into the center of the goal, with a penalty from “Panenka”.
