Real Madrid is in crisis. All the bad symptoms of a season without football were confirmed with their second consecutive defeat at the Santiago Bernabéu. Beaten by Barcelona in the league classic and with an alarming weakness when the reaction in Europe was expected, against a Milan that exploited the defensive deficiencies of a blocked team for which Carlo Ancelotti could not find a solution.
The European champion is seventeenth in the new ‘Champions’. At the opposite pole to the turning point that Ancelotti wanted after the setback of the classic. Conceding up to 40 shots in his last three games at the Santiago Bernabéu and nine goals. A team lacking intensity that does not exploit the offensive potential of those considered the best players in the world and that is entering a difficult moment without consequences due to the height of the season in which it occurs.
Right now any rival of a certain importance, even if it is a Milan in low hours in Italy, does a lot of damage to Real Madrid with a little. Highly strung. Permissive. Without defensive intensity where no team should be allowed to touch without feeling the breath. Only three fouls in the first act, with two major errors by Tchouaméni that ended the patience of the Bernabéu fans.
Once again forced to come back in Europe. A chapter repeated excessively. There will be a moment when the Bernabéu does not combust and the team gets tired of pulling. I expected a reaction with the character of a rested team, which demands the defeat received in their stadium in the classic. And it didn’t arrive because of how weak it has become. When it seemed that the delivery increased when seeing Mbappé defend an action, Bellingham steal by diving or Fede Valverde’s delivery. A lapse in concentration brought everything down again.
Tchouaméni committed it on a corner kick and Militao arrived late to cover. Thiaw had already finished at the near post at will, dealing a blow to Madrid’s intention to please with a game that did not come. Ancelotti can’t find the key. And there are already too many games. Punished on his right wing, which he reinforced with Fede Valverde as help to Lucas Vázquez, surpassed by the power of Leao and with the additions of Theo.
The only change after the classic romp was the presence of Modric. And this Real Madrid asks for more coaching help. Without looking at stripes, something difficult to execute. Mbappé, eager for goals that bring him closer to his identity, had warned with a cross shot as soon as the curtain rose with the emotional tribute to the Valencian Community.
Real Madrid’s weak flank was soon seen, with the first incorporation of Theo Hernández who was stopped by Lunin. But he could do nothing, defenseless, after a corner kick hit Thiaw’s header. For the umpteenth time, the scene of the European comeback was unfolded at the Bernabéu. With a quick reaction when Tchouaméni, feeling singled out, put a deep pass to Mbappé that left a quality dribble and a powerful shot against which Maignan excelled.
Vinícius was expected with a special desire to shine after what happened with the Ballon d’Or. Milan, weak defensively, seemed the ideal victim. And Paulo Fonseca protected himself with a defense of five. His plan was working until ‘Vini’ was knocked down by Emerson in an action protested by the entire Italian team. The referee hesitated and ended up giving a penalty. The one who did not hesitate was the Brazilian in the best execution of a maximum penalty since he launched them. With paradiña and soft touch to the net.
The first step had been taken but the doubts had not been cleared up. Milan felt comfortable in each possession and Lunin excelled with his first save of the night, assuming Courtois’s saving role by flying to the post to save Reijnders’ tight shot. Powerless again in a mistake at the beginning of the play by Tchouaméni, after taking a dry shot from below by Leao, who received his back and turned without being overtaken by Militao, when Morata, the most attentive to the play, sent it to the net the rejection to turn Real Madrid into his favorite victim. The team he scored the most in his career.
A new attempt at Mbappé’s run, frustrated in the shot by Maignan, was the last attempt of the first act before the frustration of the second. There was never an atmosphere of comeback due to the bad feelings that the Madrid players transmitted on the pitch. Blocked, without generating dangerous offensive actions as a team, only from individual actions that did not find the goal.
Once again inferior to the rival in the second half, without imposing his imposing physique, without his usual ability to react after blows in the ‘Champions’. A soft shot by Vinícius at the start gave way to a feeling of weakness, trembling with each run by Leao.
Once again saved by Lunin with the stoppage of the match from a header from Leao after a cross from Emerson. Weakness on both sides. Without a mark from the centre-backs. Once again the impotence of Mbappé, unhappy as 9, in desperate shots that do not find the goal. With Bellingham chewing anxiety in each shot, finishing the clearest one to the stands, when the sentence came.
Morata had already crashed a spur shot into the crossbar after a corner when Leao exploited his power, without faltering in the face of Militao’s attempt to stop him, dwarfing Lucas in the race to make clear the need to go to the market to cover the loss of Carvajal. Reijnders shot Lunin and promoted Real Madrid’s worst moment in years. This time there was no room for heroics and Rüdiger’s goal was even disallowed. The champion is touched in his pride.
Technical sheet:
Real Madrid: Lunin; Lucas Vázquez, Militao, Rüdiger, Mendy (Fran García, m.74); Tchouaméni (Camavinga, m.46), Fede Valverde (Brahim, n.46), Modric (Ceballos, m.63), Bellingham (Rodrygo, m.74); Vinícius and Mbappé.
Milan: Cousins; Emerson Royal (Calabria, m.93), Tomori, Thiaw, Theo Hernández; Musah (Pavlovic, m.93), Reijnders, Fofana; Pulisic (Loftus-Cheek, m.70), Leao (Okafor, m.77) and Morata (Abraham, m.70).
Goals: 0-1, m.12: Thiaw. 1-1, m.23: Vinícius de penalti. 1-2, m.39: Morata. 1-3, m.73: Reijnders.
Match compact:
