Sevilla-Real Madrid There is another Madrid

Zidane always has an extra life, which is not related to feline attributes or the flower on the ass, but with the ability to lift Madrid in moments of truth. In that it is indisputable. Keeping the group on their toes when danger is not so imminent gets worse grades. Against Sevilla, in the first session of his trial, a Madrid without sequins but with a sense of duty and saved the first ramp of a very hard climb thanks to a half goal from Vinicius, that imperfect shaker. Sevilla, who saved all the ammunition for the duel, fired it into the air.

Disgust seems to surround each Lopetegui game against Madrid, which was twice his home and from which he left twice without success. Who knows if because of that bad divorce he pointed to this party for a week and turned his back on Wednesday's against Chelsea, at the cost of engulfing part of the Sevilla fans, annoyed by that gesture of Euro-resignation. He saved the Gipuzkoan to his elite body for the duel this Saturday and changed eight players of those who suffered the avalanche of Giroud. That luxury could not be afforded by Madrid, more of a cicada than an ant in Europe and with few rotation options. The impression remains on this team that some are taking too long to arrive and others too long to go.

Vinicius appears again

This time, after seven consecutive substitutions, was the incumbent Vinicius. The sins of others are venial and yours, mortal. And it remains in the air, perhaps because it is still college age, whate every time he goes to the bench it is for his good, as if leaving the team would do someone good. He took Asensio's place and was charged with reason. Nobody on the squad moves the tree anymore.

Vinicius started as usual, always being in the garlic and myopic before the goal. Before the first minute he received from Rodrygo almost in a small area and crossed his shot too much. And shortly after he went for Bono and was about to make him pay for his excess of confidence with his feet. Its beginnings are reminiscent of those of Higuaín, a huge producer of chances and not so much of goals. In a way that is this Madrid, a team that sows more than it reaps and that vanishes at the first setback, aware that it does not have gunpowder for the comeback.

Modric's leadership

With his successes and mistakes, with his tribune and artifice maneuvers (he wanted to get a ball out with two dribbles near the side of his own area and took the cloth of his teammates) Vinicius always leaves the feeling of being a threat. With him and Rodrygo, Madrid arrived with dynamism and depth as soon as they overcame the first pressure from Sevilla, which was not what Lopetegui expected. Everything was directed by Modric, that old man which the club refuses to renew.

Before the break, Nervión's team was non-existent in Madrid's area. There was no progress from Ocampos or Munir, there was no push from the midfielders, there were no adventures from their sides, more busy not to be undressed by Madrid's Brazilian wings than to stretch out, and De Jong, a percussion striker, had nothing to throw himself into the mouth.

Madrid went from more to less, spacing his chances, but always one notch above, with better order than in recent games. He returned to approach the goal with a shot from Benzema after a half veronica from Vinicius without touching the ball that facilitated the Frenchman's maneuver. The impression remained that there is a will on the part of the parties to form a partnership where there was disagreement. A stoppage by Bono allowed Sevilla to escape unscathed.

Goal and siege

From the break, the game that comfortably kept Madrid did not return. Munir injured, Lopetegui put Óliver Torres, a fourth midfielder to win the kitchen of the clash. And when the game seemed to have gotten into his pocket, Sevilla scored against Madrid in a great opening by Benzema and a low center on Mendy's march. It seemed that Vinicius would not arrive, but his speed was above Bono's forecasts. The Brazilian brushed the ball with the toe and the ball hit the body of the goal, who was waiting for it in another place, and slipped. Lopetegui undid the plan and, with three changes, returned to 4-3-3 and a fresher team. Zidane only removed Rodrygo despite general fatigue, which was huddling him around Courtois. That inaction proves that he no longer puts his hand on fire for Unit B.

Suso was Sevilla's best weapon in the final stretch, in a siege consented to by Madrid, to which the legs did not give him any more. Courtois saved Chileans from De Jong and Ocampos, who died on the shore. And this up and down Madrid returned to normal.