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Wins over Sevilla and Gladbach helped stabilize the boat before another win over title-chasing Atlético completed a perfect seven days for Zizou.
The storm has passed and Zinedine Zidane’s boat is not only still afloat, but is moving at full speed.
His Real Madrid team weathered the storm and emerged from a white-knuckle week with three major victories, victories over Sevilla and Borussia Monchengladbach capped by a derby win over Atlético de Madrid.
Just over a week ago, Zidane was on President Florentino Pérez’s cutting board, but he has effortlessly led the club to much calmer waters. Real beat Diego Simeone’s team 2-0 on Saturday night, narrowing the gap between the teams to three points in La Liga, although Atlético remains top of the table, for now, and Los Blancos moved up to third. place.
Last Saturday, Madrid visited Sevilla and achieved a 1-0 victory to contain the hemorrhage of the domestic points and find their balance. That was followed on Wednesday with a comfortable 2-0 win over Gladbach in the Champions League, which diverted Madrid from the path of possible humiliation in the group stage and moved into first place.
After a third win, over Atlético, Los Blancos can watch the UEFA round of 16 draw on Monday with a sense of calm, the skies bright and hope filling the sails.
Sentiments at the club have changed dramatically in an important week, the kind of week that can act as a launching pad for title dreams and the quest for silver. Fundamentally, all the players that Zidane has used in the last eight days have given their all, pressing until the end, without wavering in their concentration.
Atlético reached Alfredo Di Stefano as the league leader with six points and one game less than their most illustrious neighbors. Simeone’s team had gone 26 league games without losing and scored seven wins in a row, to illustrate the magnitude of Real’s task.
They had never been behind this season in the top flight and conceded just two goals, until Casemiro broke the deadlock with a well-placed header in the bottom corner, with Karim Benzema previously hitting the post.
The Brazilian notably has more goals (26) than his teammates Toni Kroos (19) and Luka Modric (24), in fewer games for the club than any of his midfield teammates. This was a huge one, leaving Atlético an uphill battle, especially considering Simeone’s set-up.
The coach benched Thomas Lemar and Angel Correa, rather than choosing to play more cautiously. It was a mistake. Atlético have been impressive so far this season due to their increased attacking intent.
Luis Suárez seemed lost with his team playing too deep behind him, while Joao Félix was reduced to hacking Casemiro in a frustrating first half. The visitors didn’t get a single shot in the first half, only the second time they didn’t in the past five seasons.
This was an Atlético that lacked a fight, which is a rare Atlético. Zidane’s relentless Madrid sucked him off.
Simeone turned things around at halftime and launched himself on Angel Correa and Thomas Lemar, the latter of whom brought too much of a fight, if anything. He was almost ejected as soon as he launched a savage lunge at Casemiro.
Atlético were brighter, but in the end it was the same old story for them, now unable to defeat Real Madrid in nine straight league games, and their last loss before this was at the Santiago Bernabéu in February.
Dani Carvajal scored Real’s second with a brilliant volley from afar, although the record books will score it as an Oblak own goal as the ball hit the post and then the back of the Slovenian stopper before crossing the line. .
Suárez was toothless up front for Atlético, despite his record of being a thorn in Real’s side with Barcelona, while Félix took out his anger in the plastic seats after an early retirement.
“Playing like this, nobody can hurt us,” said Zidane’s first official Benzema after the victory over Gladbach. And so it turned out. If the coach can keep the team in this golden moment, this season is very promising.
