Earlier in the day, Barcelona had gone ahead of Real Madrid at the top of the La Liga table, and the supporters of the Blaugrana would have been beaming with pride as Villarreal doubled their lead against the Los Blancos in the second half. However, that was as good as it got for the Yellow Submarines as Madrid summoned all the mental strength that is required to be champions.
Also Read: La Liga 2016/17: Villarreal 2-3 Real Madrid, Player Ratings
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Coming back from two goals down, Madrid put on a display worthy of a champion team.
Goals from Manu Trigueros and Cedric Bakambu had given the team a two-nil lead at the hour mark. The Los Blancos though were far from finished as they first cut the deficit through Bale, before goals from Ronaldo and Mortar settled the game in their favour.
#1 BBC turn on the style to show Madrid mean business
For the first time in three months, Zidane had the luxury of fielding his three main attackers – Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo. Although Villarreal was the dominant side for the majority of the game, it was the lethality of the trio that hauled Madrid back into the game.
Bale, last weekend, had come off the bench to scamper away and score another of those thrilling goals. Against Villarreal, the Welshman was making his first start since November and was instrumental in the comeback as he cut the deficit in the 64th minute. Bale did have a chance in the first half when he found himself in a position to convert a Marcelo cross but unfortunately couldn’t keep it on target.
But as the game became more open in the second half and the pace became frenetic the Welshman found himself in space to run into. His goal arrived from a header from very close range to the bottom left corner which was assisted by a Daniel Carvajal cross.
Having regained the impetus and stalling Villarreal’s momentum, Madrid turned on the afterburners as Ronaldo smacked in a debatable penalty to equalise. And to add salt to the wounds of the home supporters, Morata was on hand to convert the goal that would ultimately seal Madrid’s victory and conclude one of the best fightbacks by Madrid this season.
#2 Stingiest defence dismantled by debatable penalty call
Fran Escriba, the Villarreal manager was livid after the referee decided to award a penalty to the visitors in the 74th minute. On first viewing, it was a clear indication of the ball going to hand rather than a handball. The referee though held a different point-of-view as he awarded the penalty.
The initial shot had been fired in by Toni Kroos which was blocked by a leg from Victor Ruiz. Unfortunately, Ruiz’s block could only manage to deflect it on to the arm of Bruno, who was standing only a couple of yards away.
The Yellow Submarines came into the game on the back of a defence which had conceded only 15 goals this campaign. But by the end of the night, they had conceded three goals and a goal which was rather fortunate for the visitors.
#3 Isco makes the difference
Zidane’s starting line-up was defensive given the availability of the attacking trio, which was understandable. Casemiro was preferred ahead of the more attacking minded Isco, although, Zidane could have shown a touch of adventure by starting with the Spaniard.
Villarreal have shown their defensive solidarity this entire campaign and one expected them to be well organised. Thus, the Frenchman could have gone for the more creative Spaniard from the start, which would have at least put the Villarreal defence on the back foot.
But a two-goal deficit forced Zidane’s hand and he was forced to introduce the Spaniard. And his impact was almost immediate as he set about righting the game. Although he was not directly involved in any of the goals, his introduction did give the Los Blancos more verve as they embarked on their comeback.
#4 Villarreal show that the league title is not yet done and dusted
Boos rang around the stadium as the referee blew the whistle to signal the end of the game. Villarreal were excellent on the night as they deservedly took a 2-0 lead. Coming into the game, the Yellow Submarines were looking to consolidate their position in the table and, more importantly, a Europa League spot.
Escriba’s team showed that with good organisation, this Madrid team has some cracks which can be exploited. In a hectic second half, Villarreal took the lead through Trigueros who found the space to plant a shot past Keylor Navas. Subsequently, an excellent pass from Bruno spilt the Madrid defence wide open as Bakambu finished emphatically.
On any other night, Villarreal would have gone away with all three points, but Madrid responded and showed why they are the favourites to win the La Liga this season. The referee did give them a helping hand, but one can’t take away anything from the performance of both the teams to serve up such an enthralling encounter.
#5 Madrid’s morale keeps them in top spot
Real Madrid, who had been beaten earlier in the week, knew they needed to win after their closest rivals Barcelona had overhauled them. The jitters were still evident though at the start of this game – consequence of the midweek defeat.
But this Madrid team oozes attacking class and had quite a few chances in the first half to take the lead. With 25 shots on target, Los Blancos showed they meant business, but it was only after they had conceded the lead that the real attacking intent came to the fore.
Bale alongside Ronaldo was phenomenal, as they hauled their team back into the game. And the final nail in the coffin was inserted by Morata who netted the winner in the 83rd minute. With goals becoming a consistent feature in the Spaniard’s game, it is time for Benzema to start looking over his shoulder as the young Spaniard looks to start more matches.
