Cristiano Ronaldo’s brace and a goal from Benzema helped Madrid hold on to a crucial 3-2 win against the Los Che. The 3 points mean the Los Blancos have maintained the pressure on league leaders Barcelona, who themselves thrashed Espanyol 5-0.
Since Atletico Madrid lost their match against Levante, the La Liga has become a two-horse race with the Catalan giants leading Real Madrid by 1 point.
Here are five talking points from the match:
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James Rodríguez’s creative influence was key
“His national team is based almost entirely around him, something which isn't the case when he plays for Real Madrid”, said former Colombia national team coach Pacho Maturana on Rodriguez. Against Valencia, he looked a different player altogether.
Madrid’s number ten has had a stop-start season owing to niggling injuries which have hampered his gameplay to a large extent. But last night he looked extremely lively in the middle of the park and was handed a free role by coach, Zinedine Zidane.
James looked hungry and wanted to be on the ball every time Los Blancos were on the attack. Reminiscent of the role he carries out for his national side, he slotted himself cleverly between the midfield and defensive lines, making it extremely difficult for Valencia to keep a check on him.
Real Madrid face their city rivals in the Champions league finals in twenty days time and Rodriguez could prove to be the man to unlock Atletico’s miserly defence. His defence penetrating through ball for Ronaldo’s second was sublime to say the least.
Los Blancos finally shake off their bogey team
Heading into match day thirty-seven, Real Madrid hadn’t beaten Valencia at home in the last four seasons. A record Zidane was keen on turning around.
At the Santiago Bernabeu, the past four encounters between the two sides had all ended in draws. The Bernabeu faithful were a tad tranquil compared to their generally boisterous behaviour. The rain was pouring down in the capital city which could have made it extremely tricky for the home side.
But they didn’t let any of that deter them. From minute one, Madrid asserted themselves on the visitors, who hardly had a sniff at goal, especially in the first half. Real’s back four weren’t made to work hard.
With Keylor Navas injured, Kiko Casilla made a rare appearance – only his third of the season in La Liga. Unfortunately for him, he couldn’t keep a clean sheet. Zidane’s men made sure that the title race will go down to the wire courtesy of goals from Ronaldo and Benzema. We’re set for a nerve-wracking match day thirty-eight, next week.
Serene Zidane’s style going unnoticed
The forty-three-year-old seems to have come into his own in a relatively short period. This was only the twenty-fifth time he was taking charge of Real Madrid. But there seems to be an evident improvement in the way Madrid build their attack.
Under Benitez, Los Blancos were a rock in defence, something which Zidane hasn’t tinkered with a lot. But it’s the offensive aspect of the game that Zidane has worked on the most. Every single player seems much more confident on the ball. Especially in skin-tight spaces, something that was sorely missing during Benitez’s tenure.
Under the tutelage of the Frenchman, the Madrid players are quick, efficient and calm in tight spaces. There always seems to be a player to pass to in close quarters. Hence, even when Valencia pressed them aggressively, they did a great job of getting out of jail most often than not.
Even players like Casemiro and Ramos who aren’t necessarily known for their ball-playing skills seem at ease when harried on the ball.
Valencia will already be looking forward to next season
Post the sacking of Gary Neville, Los Che have turned things around for the better. Valencia who were dangling in 14th position under the Englishman, have recovered to a more respectable 9th position on the table. Mediocre compared to the standards they’ve set for themselves in the last decade.
They’ve regularly managed to secure a top four finish or contest for a Champions league spot at the least. Valencia currently have forty-four points, a massive forty-three behind Los Blancos. To put things into perspective, only once in La Liga history have Los Che secured 44 points or lower after thirty-six games.
This stat speaks volumes about the kind of season they’ve had. However, credit to newly appointed coach, Pako Ayestaran who has guided his team from the bottom half to the top half of the table after a horrid start to the season.
Andre Gomez almost played spoiler in Madrid’s pursuit of Barcelona, scoring a sublime late second goal to put the entire stadium on edge. Unfortunately for his side, it wasn’t to be.
Los Blancos bid farewell to Alvaro Arbeloa
“I only have words of gratitude for him. In my 16 years of coaching I have him, surely, on the podium of the most important players with whom I have worked. He is a good player and an exceptional man”. These were the words of Jose Mourinho for Alvaro Arbeloa. Madrid’s right back bid an emotional farewell to the Bernabeu faithful in his final home game.
The Spaniard has been at the club for the past seven seasons, plying his trade under a host of managers. He’s made a massive 153 appearances during this time, winning the Champions League, La Liga, FIFA Club World Cup, Copa Del Rey and the UEFA Super Cup in the process.
Despite not playing a central role on the field in the past couple of seasons, the thirty-three-year-old was the quintessential professional, pumping up his players before every single match and defending his club’s crest during testing times.
