Vinicius and Benzema save a bad afternoon
Real Madrid dressing task against Shakhtar and ticket on track to the round of 16
MADRID, 3 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Real Madrid left their ticket to the round of 16 of the Champions League very on track after beating Shakhtar Donetsk (2-1) this Wednesday in a bad game, on the fourth day of the group stage, thanks to the tandem Vinicius- Benzema, who was decisive again this Wednesday at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Carlo Ancelotti’s team saved a lackluster stake, a far cry from the version that led him to thrash the Ukrainians two weeks ago and with buried inspiration. There was neither fluidity, nor the offensive flow that was expected against a rival for the occasion. The game was rather ugly and Shakhtar – brave and daring – had their options of having given a scare at the last minute.
The afternoon soon turned to the face of the 13-time European champion with a double chance from Luka Modric announcing a placid match. The naivety of the Ukrainians and their commitment to play allowed the first approaches of the merengue team. Modric pardoned in the small area and immediately ran into Trubin.
However, Real Madrid had little to wait to see themselves ahead on the scoreboard. One of those gifts, in Marlon boots, was taken advantage of by Vinicius, who assisted Benzema to score the 1000th goal for the Madridistas in the European Cup. The goal tempered the good start of the whites, or at least their desire to convince and dominate the game time. The opposite happened.
De Zerbi’s pupils got loose, took over the center of the field and generated the first problems behind Carvajal, the weakest in the local defense. Fernando and Stepanenko warned again until – after half an hour – the draw came fairly. A combination in the heart of the area that neither Alaba nor Militao could do.
A minute before the break, Courtois appeared and also the first whistles at the Bernabéu. The afternoon grew dark and the crowd grew impatient. Far were those thrashing against Celta and Mallorca from just a month ago. But there was still the second half to seek a redemption or -at least- the goal that would clarify the European future of Ancelotti’s players.
And that was what saved the bad afternoon, a goal from Benzema on a monumental wall with Vinicius. Again the connection between the Brazilian and the French -authors of 80% of Real Madrid’s goals this year- so that the Frenchman culminated the best play of the game. That goal made up for the merengue conformity and almost the entire second half.
The white team kept trying, especially on the counterattack with some exit in search of Luka Jovic, who returned to have ten minutes a month later, but nothing changed the score or – what is worse – the feelings of Real Madrid, something to what they aspired after the overwhelming 0-5 in Kiev.
The 2-1 was enough to add the three points, despite ending up locked in the area, and to reach nine units after four days. If Real Madrid beat the Sheriff on November 24, they will be mathematically assured of qualification for the next round.
DATASHEET.
– RESULT: REAL MADRID, 2 – SHAKHTAR DONETSK, 1 (1-1, at halftime).
–ALIGNMENTS.
REAL MADRID: Courtois; Carvajal (Nacho, min.66), Militao, Alaba, Mendy; Casemiro, Modric, Kroos; Lucas Vázquez, Benzema (Jovic, min. 80) and Vinicius.
SHAKHTAR DONESTK: Trubin; Dodo, Marlon, Matviyenko; Stepanenko (Sudakov, min. 80), Maycon, Mudryk (Solomon, min. 70); Tete (Marlos, min. 80), Alan Patrick (M. Antonio, min. 80), Barberan; y Fernando (Dentinho, min. 86).
–GOALS:
1-0, min.13, Benzema.
1-1, min.39, Fernando.
2-1, min.61, Benzema.
– REFEREE: Benoit Bastien (FRA). He cautioned Mendy (min.39), Casemiro (min.63) at Real Madrid with a yellow card; and De Zerbi (min.55), Shakhtar coach, and Dentinho (min.93).
–Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.