Madrid gives another blow to the League in San Mamés

The Real Madrid beat in San Mamés to take a step towards the title in a match marked by the explosive start of Benzema, author of two goals in seven minutes. What seemed like it was going to be a walk became a tough survival test for a Madrid depleted by casualties and subjected for almost the entire second half by a Athletic which lacked hit.

The party was conditioned from the previous one by the numerous casualties. Madrid landed with 11 absences between the positives of covid, injuries and the sanction of Casemiro while Athletic also arrived at the appointment reduced with eight absences.

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Before both teams had time to take the game’s temperature or show their cards, Karim Benzema he dynamited the start first with a great goal from outside the area and then taking advantage of an error by Unai Nuñez to beat Agirrezabala. The two goals in just seven minutes seemed like a very serious blow to him Athletic but the wound healed immediately thanks to the response of Sancet, who connected a great impossible shot for Courtois (10 ‘).

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In ten minutes, three goals, San Mamés boiling and everything ready for a great match from power to power. The goal of Sancet it awakened the hope and ambition of Athletic, hungrier and more psyched than a Madrid that thought that the match was already resolved with the 0-2.

Athletic resumed its ambitious plan of high pressure and non-negotiable intensity and threatened Courteous with some arrival of certain danger. The game was getting very rough for Madrid, Nacho and Camavinga and Kroos suffered, seeing that the panorama did not paint very well, he took a step forward to lower the heart rate to a vibrant duel.

The new scenario stopped the momentum of Athletic, forced by the control of Kroos and the threat of Vinicius to the space to play more aware of his area than of the opposite. In those, a more lively Hazard commanded a very clear counterattack but failed in the moment of truth when trying to assist Benzema.

The fast-paced start was giving way as the minutes progressed to an armistice in the final stretch of the first half, with hardly any approaches to the areas. Madrid was already doing well at 1-2 and Athletic, more sheltered, preferred to dose forces thinking about the assault on the Courtois area in the second half.

In the resumption the script did not change one iota. Madrid became the owner and lord of the ball with the intention of wearing down Athletic rather than looking for Agirrezabala. Athletic’s truce came to an end in the 60th minute, when Marcelino ordered his team to step forward. Muniain was already in his sauce and the entry of Nico Williams and Raúl García ended up reversing the inertia of the meeting.

Ancelotti’s immobility was a problem for his team, which was very exhausted in the final stage, also due to fatigue and the lack of warranty replacement parts. The party then only had one direction while the white box sighed for a counterattack from Vinicius that would bring the contest to a close. But the Brazilian has lost some effervescence and went unnoticed in San Mamés.

Hazard had Madrid’s clearest chance on his left in the 80th minute but ran into a great intervention from Agirrezabala. With four minutes remaining, Courtois was the one who saved the whites by frustrating a heads-up from Nico. Madrid was able to kill the counter but the scoreboard did not move and the leader leaves San Mamés reinforced.

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