Modric, the lifeguard – AS.com

It could be said that Madrid survived Balaídos by one foot, that of Modric, the wisest of the squad. From his right came a deep, deadly, decisive pass, which allowed Vinicius to sign a very quick victory for the champion when he was being subdued by this Celta youth team and happily recomposed by Giráldez. Ancelotti’s team was the one for everything so far this year: very little authoritarian, too divided, unbalanced at the back, entrusted to Courtois, alive for the occurrences of his figures and not for feeling like a team. There was no improvement seen in Mbappé either. A great goal and little participation. What had already been seen until now. The celestial effort, a daring team, was very poorly paid.

Madrid returned from the FIFA break with a new drawing under his arm. A team with two healthy center backs started with three in Balaídos. Between Militao and Rüdiger Ancelotti placed Tchouameni, who as a firewall in the center of the field has offered little in recent years and who can find a professional outlet further back. So The thing remained in a kind of 3-4-1-2 which justified the presence of Fran García, a more deployable winger than Mendy.

On the other hand, what a year ago, due to the departure of Benzema without the club signing a nine, was a necessity has become a virtue. For the fourth consecutive game Ancelotti saved himself the third striker to return Bellingham to that nine and a half position that went so well last season. Ancelotti believes that the Englishman’s well-being is the key to a team that has only behaved like part-time champions.

He also opposed a 3-4-3 for Celtain its case not very new. Giráldez has done wonderfully with that format that Madrid choked on at the start. In just eight minutes Swedberg stood up to Courtois twice. They both left. In the first he threw out in an illegal position. In the second the Belgian caught him. The mismatch between the three white centre-backs was evident. Without a doubt, the plan could use more trials.

In the absence of organization, Madrid drew inspiration, specifically from Mbappé, which arrived remastered after a couple of weeks of fine-tuning, which it missed in the summer. It is true that the ball came to him by mistake by Fran Beltrán and after a touch in Camavinga, but there was still everything to do in the play. The French He took the ball 20 meters away and sent an impressive shot into Guaita’s net..

A super goal that did not explain the game, because Celta had been more organized and braver, with a boisterous air in the first leg and in the second leg. He frequently stepped into the area, although he lacked finishing. Without a doubt he missed Iago Aspas’s left foot, his bow.

A sedative possession

At Madrid, Tchouameni’s step back was surely related to Camavinga’s unreliability as an organizer. He offers mobility, enthusiasm and vigor, but he is a footballer not very rigorous for the position he occupies, the most delicate of the team, the one where choosing is the question. Integrating him into the team possibly forces us to turn the scheme around.

As the minutes pass, Madrid was taming Celta with long possessions, more lasting than effective, with little urgency to bring the curtain down on the game. By then Tchouameni was already doubling functions: third center back when the ball belonged to Madrid, closing midfielder when Celta recovered.

Little happened after Mbappé’s goal at half-time. And almost everything was attributable to Vinicius, first with a header that went high and then with a good twist on the left that he closed with a bad shot. The importance of his vertigo is directly proportional to the wear and tear on his rivals’ legs.

And as always, Modric

The second half dawned like the first. A very unbalanced Madrid behind and a bold and intense Celta. At the intersection of one and the other, the tie came. Mingueza, who is in the National Team for a reason, scored his fifth assist of the course with his sweet pass to Swedberg, who on the third time, without opposition, got it right. Concentration is not Madrid’s strong suit this season.

Goals change the mood of the teams. This one did it extraordinarily. Celta recovered its dominance from emotion and fierceness and advanced its pressure to the point of recklessness, encouraged by the enthusiasm of Balaídos. The rock was celestial.

He then put Ancelotti to Rodrygo and Modric to give a more natural order to the team. The Croatian has the best foot in the squad and he put it to good use early. He sank a vertical ball like a dagger into the Vigo area and the rest was up to Vinicius, who easily saved Guaita and scored 1-2 into an empty goal. Modric seems essential in any Ancelotti plan.

Celta did not fall into discouragement. Courtois, always Courtois, he took a goal away from Bamba, Mingueza ruined a great drive with his shot and Douvikas, in stoppage time, inexplicably missed the tie that his team more than deserved. Unfortunately, in football you don’t live off a good image.

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