Alavés-Real Madrid This is how forgiveness is asked

You will hardly find a higher survival rate in football than Zidane's. His Madrid comes and goes. But it almost always comes back. It happened in Mendizorroza, with some optimistic notes: Benzema is once again armed, Modric and Kroos exploit their seniority, Militao offered himself as usable and Hazard took his first steps on that journey from companion player to motor player. The message that the team sent is that it is still in the race. Alavés defended badly at the beginning and that no longer had a remedy.

After discounting the confined, the condemned, the depressed and the escaped, those from Vitoria remain in Madrid. It is not clear if it was the chicken or the egg before, if half of the squad disconnected due to not playing or stopped playing because they disconnected, but the truth is that Zidane has been left with twelve (those of Mendizorroza, less Militao, more Ramos and Carvajal). Alcoy's reproach came to reaffirm him. And the party of Mendizorroza even more.

Although the matter did not start there. Because Bettoni, from her provisional brown, he watched an energetic departure from Alavés, which was blowing out the candles of its first hundred years as a family. 'Alta la Frente' was the hymn composed for the occasion by the Navarrese Izal. A hymn that speaks of effort, sweat, bravery, memory and honor. That wanted to be Alavés and it did not reach him.

One minute of glory

He intimidated the starting Madrid in his pressure and even had two good chances. A header from Joselu, which ends up to the satellites, and a frank shot from Martín. A remarkable effort and a very dignified staging ruined by a minute of Madrid's glory. Benzema was misplaced twice and crashed two clear shots against Pacheco and the stick, but in the corner in which the tumult derived, Casemiro put his head above Lejeune's in precise dispatch of Kroos and put the whites ahead. In punch, the glorious one is still Madrid.

That lowered the volume to Centenario and Alavés and tempered Madrid. Or to a significant part of Madrid. Militao grew up with his first hits and showed that his conditions are above his performance. Mendy exposed Ximo Navarro and, for the same price, Hazard in his band. The daring had to be the Belgian and it was the French. Casemiro put ethics and Kroos and Modric, aesthetics. Lucas Vázquez gave air to his band. And Madrid began to have a good time, which is to say in the trance that occupies them.

Mendy lost a goal due to excessive generosity and Hazard another due to lack of effect in his placed shot. On the third there was no mercy, Asensio sent his pass to the edge of the area, Hazard let the ball pass with his third eye, that of intuition, and Benzema controlled and crossed the ball to the squad. A super goal prior to another super goal. Kroos made a display of midfield. He lobbied, stole and directed a great pass to Hazard, who resolved with trade. Contrary to custom, a bossy Madrid completed the work in good time.

It was impossible

The only thing left for Alavés was an impossible epic. So Abelardo threw the rest (Manu García, Borja Sainz, Lucas Pérez …) and ordered an all or nothing pressure, more suicidal than daring, and at times on the brink of regulation.

But that outburst led him to a catalog goal: from set pieces (that's how Alavés scored 50% of the goals) and Joselu's header. And so, in desperation, he took Madrid out of its comfort zone. It contributed to the change of wind that the Bettoni group had shelved the lawsuit ahead of time.

When the matter got tangled up, Zidane retired Hazard from his remote control, although the Belgian was signing his best match in months. And Benzema put an end to the suspense without help from anyone: he received on the left with great control, he was looking for the crack and he found it. High jewelry, as usual. And there Zidane found, via mobile, an opportunity to give activity to some of those who have never been: Isco and Odriozola. That has also been part of the problem. His rehabilitation went through minutes in dead games and Madrid has killed many too late.