Real Madrid experienced a bittersweet hangover today. Happy to have once again demonstrated his resilience in the Champions League by being able to equalize an adverse score twice and have the feeling of reaching the second leg alive, but frustrated at losing a good opportunity for being unable to take advantage against an opponent with three very significant losses and who in many phases of the game dominated the whites despite the intimidating power of the Bernabéu.
The City that appeared in Chamartín did so without its starting goalkeeper, Ederson; without its best center back, Aké, and without its most creative midfielder, the Belgian Kevin de Bryune. In Madrid, throughout today, they especially lamented the errors in the definition of both Rodrygo and Vinícius, who did not have his day and who was harmed by playing more centered to leave the left wing to Rodrygo, perhaps Ancelotti’s only tactical surprise.
Madrid had the good news of not losing for the second leg only one of its four players, Tchouaméni, and already has Éder Militão for the second leg, to whom Ancelotti will surely give minutes on Saturday in Son Moix, in which It will practically be his debut of the season. The Brazilian, who broke his cruciate in the summer, already played a few minutes against Athletic. The other option being considered is that of captain Nacho, who has played little lately.
For the second leg at the Etihad, Madrid’s big concern is that Bellingham recovers the high level it showed in the first part of the season. The feeling in Madrid is that Bellingham has lost steam at the worst possible moment. Since January he has been without spark and has lost his sense of goal. He is no longer the decisive player who was aiming for the Ballon d’Or. He has become earthly.
The Englishman has not seen the net for two months, when he scored a double against Girona, and in the League, between an ankle injury and suspensions, he has only been able to participate in five of the last ten games. Against City Bellingham lost nine balls and had only one scoring chance. All in all, he is still the team’s top scorer, stuck with twenty goals.
Another negative aspect that was discussed yesterday in Madrid was the issue of the goal. City’s first goal was a childish mistake by Lunin, who placed the barrier poorly and was not attentive to Bernardo Silva’s free kick. The Ukrainian is close to renewing because he is considered a good goalkeeper, but not a miracle worker like Courtois or Casillas.
A detail for hope was once again Håland’s bad game, dried up by Rüdiger. Madrid is not going to Manchester defeated by any means. He knows that it is difficult for him but he did not see City as superior as last season. He is convinced that he will have his chances at the Etihad.
