Athletic-Real Madrid Pursuer until the last day

For resistant rather than excellent Madrid continues to have the League in sight. Wherever soccer does not reach, the missionary's faith reaches. By the time Atlético promoted its highly successful 'never stop believing', Madrid had been applying it for decades. He also did it in San Mamés, tired, depleted, with an invitation to draw a white flag in his pocket. That tradition has been able to maintain Zidane, in addition to being able to maneuver that twelve-wheeled truck that is the white wardrobe. It will be difficult to find a successor other than Raúl who explains the club's history so well. Everything happened in a very tied game, with little joy, with that boring solemnity of when there is so much at stake, resolved with a bit of rebound, who knows if the last of this League was out of his mind.

Madrid has tested in seven months all the COVID strains and all the forms of sick leave, except the maternal ones. So Zidane walks in a sinvivir until the day of the game arrives, the easy part: there he puts what remains. And there is little to choose from. Against Athletic, the left-back and Benzema's escort. Miguel Gutiérrez also begins to leave Marcelo behind. In reality, Madrid is starting to leave Marcelo behind. The Brazilian went from excellence to substitution, then it was necessary to put three centrals and a royal half guard to give him games. Now not even that is worth it. And above, the thing is in a technical tie. So the French pulled the most vigorous, as in Granada. All for a crucial game that was removed from the conversation by the almost certain departure of the coach. Zidane is already spoken of in the past and it seemed that of this League as well.

Athletic started the year in heaven and will end the season on the ground. With two glasses less, the main ones fell and what is coming from behind is not exciting either. So he arrived at the game in a demilitarized zone and without the stands of San Mamés that will remind him that Madrid was there, eternal enemy whatever the classification says.

With your hands on your head

He did not need it in view of his first pressure, high, ambitious, expansive on an opponent less alert than in Los Cármenes. The Athletic of always with less incentives than ever. Everything was in a great starting shot, because Marcelino's team soon gave up the ball and the field, a fact as attributable to his loss of momentum as to the arrival of Benzema and Modric, the two best trainers in Madrid.

In any case, the wind change was negligible in the areas. Athletic did not find Williams, who was returning as a starter, in that football to the space that suits him so well. And Madrid's sides closed the rojiblancos well. Vinicius always missed the last step. It is customary for their plays to go down as they progress. This progressive loss of vision seems, for the moment, incorrigible.

The game woke up on the usual side: the syndiose of arbitration. Odriozola went deep to the right and His center was intercepted by Morcillo with his right arm detached, with invasive intention. A penalty from before, from always. A hand 90% more punishable than those that have been indicated in this and in many Leagues. Iglesias Villanueva needed two minutes to tell Mateu that what the world saw was not seen by his eyes. Salt in the wound of Madrid. Get out in the wound of the VAR, because here there was no small print in the rule where to escape. There are hardly any believers from that second court. And almost none in Madrid.

After the shock, the previous drowsiness returned. A lowly dominance of Madrid, that neither through the center nor outside could find a way to sneak in, and an Athletic as well protected as helpless in attack. He only registered a Bereneguer free-kick that found no goal.

Agitation

That rhythm was killing Madrid, the only one with a real need, and the expected upheaval arrived. A header from Militao, a left-footed shot from Morcillo against Courtois's gloves, a high shoe from Íñigo Martínez, another more accurate from Modric rejected by Unai Simón … LThe first signs of change for the better of a game that was being a bore.

Zidane put Asensio for Vinicius. Edge trim, both flashing, and Madrid began to really tighten, with more spaces and more intention, although his best chance came in a corner headed to the crossbar by Casemiro. Nothing we have not seen in this course. That also opened runners for Athletic.

And in that difficult balance Madrid scored in a play without too much aesthetics: a cross shot from Casemiro that went to the corner ran into Nacho's right knee and ended up in the Athletic net. A goal worthy of such a close match for too long.

With that treasure in its pocket, Madrid became an administrator. That's how he won the last league and that's how he can conquer this one. The plan was to move Athletic away, although Vesga had the goal in his head, more than to finish off his triumph. There, Madrid was saved, as it has been saved so many times in this League, in which it was once again a short-lived leader. In the worst case, your defeat will be admirable.