Madrid is in the semifinals after having danced over a precipice. A temporary 0-3 from which some players and Ancelotti himself came out scorched, but which was left only in fright thanks to the exterior of Modric’s right foot and the head, which is now more effective than his, Benzema’s boots. Rodrygo and Camavinga were also capitals. Bad night for Carvajal, Mendy, Kroos and the Nacho-Alaba duo…
One by one of the Real Madrid footballers…
COURTEOUS
At 0-1 he couldn’t do anything and they didn’t look for him again, between the three suits, in the first half. That yes, in the second, in the rawest of the Madrid via crucis, his left mitten avoided the 0-4 that would have been an almost insurmountable slab. One of the Stamford Bridge heroes who shone again.
CARVAJAL
Very insecure, Marcos Alonso played him as a left-handed winger and it was a martyrdom for the Leganense. He finished as a center back, but his game again leaves more doubts about his performance than certainties. He is not in a good moment and it shows too much…
NACHO
He had a role that was not easy, that of supplying the sanctioned Militao. Like Alaba, he suffered unspeakably with Havertz and Werner. He had to withdraw due to physical problems in the final stretch.
ALABA
Instead of making life easier for Nacho, a regular substitute, he made things more complicated for him. He went to cover Havertz at 0-1 when it was an action only for Nacho and that left Mount alone for the goal. He once again showed that something is wrong with his aerial game.
MENDY
It was noted that physically he appeared quite fair. He made a couple of those crazy plays of his that generate micro-heart attacks among Real Madrid fans. He was close to causing a Greek tragedy with the mess he organized in the 0-3 then annulled Marcos Alonso by hand. He left in the 73rd minute with some whistles from the Bernabéu.
CASEMIRO
Sometimes too late, almost as free between centrals, which allowed Mount too much freedom. Well, as usual, in the sky domain. Finally Ancelotti removed him.
KROOS
Very lost in a game in which Tüchel bet everything to be physical in midfield. He tested Mendy with a direct free kick in the 55th minute, with the 0-2 already on the scoreboard. He tiptoed through a match of these dimensions, something very rare in the German.
MODRIC
He doesn’t look human. His pass with the outside for Rodrygo’s goal was the adrenaline that a Madrid about to kneel needed. How he also masters the three-finger pass is something he will one day have to explain, because science hasn’t figured it out yet.
VALVERDE
Again very physical, but it took him a world to understand the offensive role of Marcos Alonso. That movement by Tuchel caged the Halcón, too close to the band and unable to help their midfield as much as in the first leg.
BENZEMA
He reactivated the Bernabéu with his header against the woodwork in the 66th minute, but it was the only thing for much of the game. Very isolated, it was not the PSG night nor was it the first leg at Stamford Bridge… until extra time. There, the header to a measured pass from Vinicius put Madrid in the semifinals. Even on his less lucid days, Karim is the leader of this Madrid.
VINICIUS
He left mounted on a motorcycle and ran into a thousand and one potholes. Madrid missed the opportunity in the first half to use him to tickle the carded Reece James. He finally found oil in the action at 2-3, when he had the pause and the nerve to find Benzema’s precise clearance. There are 16 goal assists for the Brazilian this season, little joke. He was applauded by the white coliseum.
Substitutions
CAMAVINGA
He came on for Kroos in ’73 with the mission of expanding, like in video games, Madrid’s ‘stamina’ bar. The robbery of him at 2-3 confirms him as one of those talents that Madrid has to pamper because there is a footballer there for a decade. He even cheered him up with a left footed shot that was almost Madrid’s third goal. He is left over.
MARCELO
He came out to project a Madrid that was, at that time, desperate and although he did not contribute too much up front, he had fewer problems than expected in defense.
RODRYGO
The man who gave Madrid hope with a volley served with a table and tablecloth by Modric. If he has to play a right winger, it should be his name.
LUCAS VAZQUEZ
He went out to point out the hole that was on the right wing and was quite successful in his role. A team footballer, who showed extravagance and at times even won chants from the Bernabéu.
CEBALLOS
It was the last change, minutes before the final whistle, to give the midfield more legs and hold the score.