Borussia Mönchengladbach-Real Madrid Madrid always has faith

Two teams from the pile, Shatkhtar and Borussia, have put Madrid on the brink of disaster. A Madrid that has just collapsed twice in the round of 16, which is the next step above the debacle. The sensation and the results suggest that Europe, the Europe that was always his, is great for him. This time it didn't even come close to debut horror. He played half well in the first half and regular pulling badly in the second to save a point with a goal in 87 'and another in 93' and Ramos and Varane as battering rams. The burden of despair. Now to catch up, you'll have to beat him two games at Inter, with whom he was supposedly going to play the lead and now his life will be at stake.

There was a time, far away and not so much (remember Wolfsburg and Dortmund in this same decade), when Madrid I was going from thrashing to thumping through Germany. Some had a remedy at the Bernabéu, patron of the impossible and collective ogre, and others did not. Those teams roared. Of that species only Bayern remains today, eternally fierce, but Bundesliga teams are on the loose in Europe and should be taken seriously. Including this Borussia, which forty years ago was Europe's great predator. A fearsome team if you take the archeology side. A good team, without more, if you look at it with today's eyes, which is more to be expected than to overwhelm. It was enough to scare a Madrid that pains for the continent without scorers since it left him, 100 million through, Cristiano.

Those of the Camp Nou plus Lucas Vázquez

The party made it clear that Zidane has an eleven for the parties of great solemnity. Those who started at the Camp Nou also did so at Borussia Park with the forced change of Nacho. And Lucas Vázquez played, a decision that further borders Militao, third plate in the center and on the band. And he repeated with Asensio and Vinicius. The Brazilian was bad in Barcelona. Before, games like this were resolved with quick trials and immediate substitutions. Now there is nothing better on the squad unless Hazard and his ankle say otherwise.

The duel had a start traced to that of the Camp Nou. Long possession of Madrid, which demanded to delay Kroos, an essential instrument to deactivate the first pressure of the rival, and endless chains of passes to dissuade Borussia from the game to space. There, with players with a lot of fiber, is his strength. In the European outings it matters that hardly anything happens at the beginning, especially against a direct-style opponent, without much desire for conversation in the center of the field.

Madrid, who came out of the duel against Shakhtar in horror, woke up in the game with Inter's draw against the Ukrainians. That is, with the feeling of not having broken anything beyond your image.

Domain without goal

Little by little he was pulling the reel. First pressing so high that forced Sommer to dribble, which is to get between the pythons. Already the brown mess in one of those in the recent Spain-Switzerland. And then looking for the goal to the trantran, a rhythm that in great football does not filter. This is the only way to understand so many sprint victories and so few after breakaway.

First it was a shot on the march of Benzema, after control with the chest. Then, an attempt by Vinicius, who was left halfway, and a far shot from Kroos that Sommer got well. Nothing truly scary for the Swiss goal.

Too there were details of Asensio and the player he wants to be, even if it lags behind the expected success. But suddenly, without warning, the first mishap came: an error by Kroos, a poor clearance by Varane with the squad, a cross pass from Plea and an unstoppable shot from Thuram, which appeared behind Lucas Vázquez. It was Borussia's first shot and a ration enriched with anxiety for Madrid, forced to penance without sinning.

Thus began the protection account. After a shot by Asensio saved by Sommer, Madrid lost the ball and good intentions in their pressure. He is known to be helpless in attack and accuses any setback, especially if he is required by the classification, as is the case. And he went to rest with the rope around his neck.

Defense goes to attack

On the return, Asensio sent a volley to the crossbar and when Hazard began to warm up, the abyss opened, in a bad rejection of Courtois to shot of Plea used again by Thuram. Football rewarded Borussia's patience, not its football, terribly short. This time Madrid did fall asleep on the canvas. He had fired 16 times and was overcome by Borussia and a distressing situation. In a panic he was able to fit the third, but Courtois paid his debt by taking out a heads-up to Plea, but the match did not return to him.

The clock and confidence moved in favor of Borussia. Despair and haste blew against Madrid. And Hazard's help proved non-existent. Benzema gave him half a goal and with his left he sent him to the side of the net. While that was happening, Jovic did not move from the bench. There are too many nominal players on the roster. So Madrid tried hard, with Ramos and Varane as battering rams and Casemiro as butler. And it came out. The Brazilian headed the 1-2 to Benzema and repeated the play, already in the match, Ramos with Casemiro himself to reach an impossible draw. That also has Madrid: faith when there is nothing else left.