Real Madrid left Valladolid alive and gave a boost to its options to compete in the League against the leaders, Atlético de Madrid. The white team took advantage of the second consecutive setback by Simeone's team, again against Levante (after 1-1 a few days ago, they fell at home 0-2) and added another three points in Pucela to leave the distance in as many points, although yes, with Atleti still with a game less than the whites. In this circumstance, if Madrid wins the derby on March 7 at the Metropolitano, they will adjust the fight to the maximum; for this, the victory at José Zorilla was vital, obtained once again through strategy, which is being a mine for this Madrid that once fell goals and now suffers the unspeakable to produce them drop by drop.
After scoring two clear chances to score in identical situations, Casemiro did not miss the third: he entered the race from behind and through Masip's far post, rose above his own teammate Varane and finished off Kroos's measured center, far out of reach of the pucelano goalkeeper. As it happened last year, then with Nacho as the protagonist, Madrid takes a 0-1 from Valladolid that cannot be presumed either in excess, but that fulfills the objective: to win, to add and to continue in the fight.
Madrid did it with their ninth strategy goal of the season in the league; It is the team that has produced the most goals like this, five from corners and four with shots to free kicks, according to Pedro Martín reported on Twitter. Next on the list is Betis, with eight goals off the board. These actions tend to be defined with aerial balls, a habitat in which Madrid is proving to work like a charm: it has 11 headed goals, more than anyone else in LaLiga.
Casemiro has thus scored four of his five league goals; then come Benzema (3) and, with one, Mariano, Lucas Vázquez, Modric and Varane. Only Sevillista En Nesyri maintains the rhythm of the Brazilian when scoring with a header, also with four goals for the Moroccan. Behind Madrid's 11 headed goals, the next team on the list is Valencia, with seven. Atlético, in other times an absolute dominator of the strategy thanks to the work of Mono Burgos (no longer present in the coaching staff), remains at six; and Barcelona, in just four.
It is not only the goals, the data confirm that this is a Madrid of high flights: it is the fourth team that heads the most in the League (36) and the first in shots between the three clubs (22), although it does not manage to transfer that power to the defensive section; It is the penultimate in top clearances of the tournament (152), only with Barcelona (118) behind, although this data is obviously influenced by the dominating character of both teams and be attacked less time than the rest. Atleti, without going any further, is the third with the most clearances (224).
Kroos and Casemiro, common suspects
In this scoring gear, thanks to the strategy and the aerial balls, two footballers have special relevance: Kroos and Casemiro. Each one playing their role, the German to serve them on a silver platter and the Brazilian to put the finishing touch on them. Casemiro, in fact, repelled the praise after the victory in Valladolid and redirected the praise to Kroos: “You have to be there to put it in, but the credit goes to Toni, who always puts them well. It's as if he put them with his hand …”.
Casemiro, despite his theoretical role of little weight in attack as a defensive midfielder, has uncovered this course as the second resource Madrid's most important goal in scoring production, surpassed only by Benzema's 17 goals. The Brazilian has six goals between all competitions. Kroos, for his part, has already given seven assists this course, more than any other teammate. The connection between the two has already produced results against Atleti in Valdebebas or against Alavés in Vitoria; also with Ramos as a partner, which the German served somewhat against Inter in the Champions League.