Real Madrid win LaLiga with victory over Villarreal
Real Madrid sealed their 34th LaLiga title on Thursday with a 2-1 victory over Villarreal in a sweltering Alfredo di Stefano in the Madrid suburbs. Zidane’s team has been irresistibly unspectacular since the return of football and it was in that same style that they won their 10th consecutive game and marched to another trophy under their French coach. Zidane, often almost accused of having some secret formula for success that he refuses to disclose, has done so again.
Zidane focused on the LaLiga title
Zidane refused to let his mind drift towards possible celebrations and didn’t want to entertain the importance of the game in the larger scheme of things before the start on Thursday night. “I don’t have to think about whether we tie tomorrow or Sunday … Tomorrow, we will all go to win the game, as we do in every game.” Villarreal said at the press conference before the game. There had to be a part of him that felt something inevitable about a title victory given his recent career, but he wasn’t about to show that in public.
Zidane is a serial winner and this is his eleventh title as head of Real Madrid in just over four years. The reason he left in 2018 was due in part to Madrid’s failure to win the league that year and the way they lost in the Copa del Rey that year, giving in to Leganes. Losing by Zidane is never acceptable, even when accompanied by winning a Champions League trophy the same year. Zidane has always maintained that the league is the most difficult trophy to win: “It is more difficult to win the league than to win the Champions League” He said in 2018 after losing the league to Barcelona. “I have always said it and I will not change. I’ve said it all my life.
LaLiga interrupted
There will never be a stranger league season than this. However, there could never be a more satisfying victory in the league title. Madrid had 11 games left when the coronavirus ended football in Europe. They had just been defeated by Real Betis and looked like a team that lacked much. As the weeks went by and soccer was still on hold, it became clear that Javier Tebas was planning a return to LaLiga. Meanwhile, Madrid planned their own return from the confines of their homes and felt that if they dealt with their business in the remaining games, Barcelona would stumble.
This was exactly how it happened with Barcelona’s draw with Sevilla and Atlético de Madrid to give Madrid the leadership in LaLiga. Madrid never looked back. Thursday’s victory was his tenth consecutive.
Benzema on fire again
Karim Benzema, the talisman of Real Madrid and the top scorer gave Madrid the advantage with Casemiro stealing a risky pass from Sofian Chakla, Modric attacking the loose ball as only Modric throws himself on the loose balls, and Benzema finished the way Benzema has been wrapping up all year. It was his 19th goal and his sixth since football returned. Madrid was on the way.
They wrapped him up with more than the usual suspects involved. Ramos stole from Gerard Moreno and ran forward before winning a penalty kick. Benzema put him in his place after a new take when several players invaded the first effort, which saw Ramos shamelessly pass Benzema.
Madrid couldn’t enjoy their two-goal lead for long when Vicente Iborra headed home with 10 to play, but as much as Villarreal tried, they couldn’t find the leveler. They approached Courtois again making a couple of important interventions. Asensio had a goal discarded late, but it did not matter, since Barcelona had lost at the Camp Nou and Madrid was the champion, regardless of what Villarreal did.
Real Madrid celebrates its 34th league title
Real Madrid’s basic strategy of winning with functional football is completed with a robust defense while Barcelona is expected to fall on itself. Zidane’s secret formula has awarded them another trophy and while Ramos and company. I will not go to Cibeles to celebrate, Victory will feel even sweeter given what they have struggled to return after three months, continue a winning streak as they have, and replace their timeless rivals at the LaLiga summit when it mattered most.
