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Real Madrid kept the pressure on leaders Barcelona in the race for the 2019-20 La Liga title, after securing a 3-1 win over Eibar in their first competitive game after three months.
The home side, playing their first top-flight game at the Estadio Alfredo de Stefano, emerged victorious in Zinedine Zidane's 200th game in-charge thanks to a dominant first-half display.
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Toni Kroos opened the scoring in the fourth minute with an outrageous finish from the edge of the box. Captain Sergio Ramos scored his eighth goal of the season to double the lead, after starting and finishing the move following a trademark burst forward.
Marcelo scored the third just seven minutes later as the hosts looked comfortable in their first match at their new home, as the renovation work at the Santiago Bernabeu continues.
So, as the win puts Real Madrid two-points behind Barcelona, here are five things that we learned from the match.
Five things we learned from Real Madrid's 3-1 win over Eibar in the 2019-20 La Liga:
5. Real Madrid produce a dominating first-half
The home side started the game with a bang, with Toni Kroos finding the back of the net just four minutes into the game with an exquisite first-touch finish.
From that moment on, Real Madrid completely dominated the game. They were strong defensively, and did not afford Eibar players with any space in the final third. Casemiro made sure that they won the battles in the middle of the park and surprisingly, it was striker Karim Benzema who played the role of a playmaker in the final third.
As a result of their efficient display, Real Madrid scored three goals in the first half and did not allow a single shot on target to the visitors. When the game resumed after the half-time interval, it seemed that Los Blancos were content with their three-goal lead and completely switched off. Though from the players' point of view, we couldn't have expected them to be too aggressive after a three-month break.
Eibar capitalised on this drop in intensity and pulled a goal back in the 60th minute via a deflection from substitute Pedro Bigas. It might be a strategy from the club, who might think it is best to give it all in the first 45 minutes when players are fresh, score early and then defend the lead. But if it is a sign of things to come, this strategy will not go down well with the fans who seemed infuriated with the way Real Madrid played in the second half.
4. Eibar need to work on improving their output in the final third
Eibar attempted more shots and as a result, had more shots on target as opposed to Real Madrid in the game. After Real Madrid got the lead through Toni Kroos in the fourth minute, Los Armeros created a lot of half-chances via Orellana and Exposito, but there was no one inside Real Madrid's box at the receiving end of the passes.
Even in the second half, when Eibar were the better side on the pitch, despite a lot of attempted shots they only got one goal, and that too came as a result of a deflection.
The visitors are just two points above the relegation zone and only four points separate them from bottom-placed Espanyol. They face teams like Getafe, Valencia and Getafe in the coming weeks. If they are to retain their top-tier status, they need to rethink their strategy in the final third.
3. Eden Hazard is back and all set to play a crucial role in Real Madrid's remaining fixtures
If there's at least one thing that Real Madrid and Zinedine Zidane can be thankful for amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it is the recovery of Eden Hazard from his ankle injury and subsequent surgery.
The man whom Real Madrid had bought in the summer, looking to fill the Cristiano Ronaldo-shaped void in their squad, had been limited by back-to-back injury spells that kept him from making any meaningful contribution to the team.
But, thanks to the three-month hiatus, he's back to full fitness and bounced back from his injury in spectacular fashion tonight. Hazard was full of energy from the get-go, and his involvement in the second and third goals showed glimpses of his Chelsea-self.
He linked well with Karim Benzema, Luca Modric, Marcelo and Rodrygo, while also producing moments of individual brilliance. Hazard looks to be back to his best, and that will be a big boost to Real Madrid's title hopes.
2. Zinedine Zidane has a strategy on how he's going to help Real Madrid win every single game:
By dint of their performance in tonight's fixture, Zinedine Zidane wants his players to start the game strong, force the opposition to make a mistake and score early goals to set the tone.
As evident from their contrasting displays in either half of the game, it is clear that Zidane will start with the strongest squad in the first half and try to win the game in the first 45 minutes itself. In the second half, he might be interested in introducing in fresh pairs of legs and keep the ball moving.
To his credit, Real Madrid played like a well-oiled machine in the first half and rarely committed an error. They were highly efficient in front of the goal too, scoring three goals from their first four shots on goal.
Zidane is no stranger to high-stake situations. The Frenchman knows that Real Madrid has to treat every game like a final. It was reported that to acclimatise the players with the playing conditions, Zidane held training sessions with the same starting XI he fielded in the game at the same kick-off time in the days leading to the game.
1: There was an urgency to the way Real Madrid players approached the game
The players at Real Madrid know that Barcelona have a two-point advantage over them and that they have catching up to do. After winning the El Clasico, Real Madrid could've consolidated their position at the top of the La Liga table if they won their next fixture against Real Betis.
But they slipped and their arch-rivals dethroned them from top spot. Now, having seen Barcelona thrash Mallorca 4-0 last night, Real Madrid knew that they had to be ruthless too, and that showed on the pitch.
The Real Madrid players were composed in possession. Every player knew what he had to do and were clinical in front of the goal. From the get-go, Real Madrid pushed for a goal and got the breakthrough just four minutes into the game. In the first half, Real Madrid were almost flawless and punished Eibar for squandering their chances.
It is this kind of alertness and urgency that will be required if Real Madrid wants to go all the way in the La Liga this season.
