Isco agrees with Ancelotti

The Real Madrid achieved an epic comeback against Elche to seal their qualification for the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey. The white team overcame a very painful double blow in extra time. In a matter of a minute, Ancelotti’s team was left with 10 men due to Marcelo’s direct red card and found themselves lower on the scoreboard thanks to a lucky goal from Gonzalo Verdú.

Hand in hand with several secondary players, Madrid rebelled against their destiny to turn the score around in the second half of extra time. The defenestrated ISco Alarcon and Eden Hazard They were the unexpected white heroes, authors of the goals of the long-suffering victory at the Martínez Valero.

Carlo Ancelotti surprised in the 79th minute by removing his only available pure center forward from the pitch, Jovic (They were not there Benzema ni Mariano), to place the Malaga driver as a false nine before betting on Gareth Bale, without competition rhythm because he has not played since August. The bet had its risks, but it was also supported by the statistics.

Isco is, by far, the midfielder with the most goals in the entire squad Real Madrid. the of honey Creek He has always had a good relationship with the opposing goal and this is evidenced by the figures. He has scored 51 goals in 347 games with the Real Madrid shirt, (average 0.15) higher numbers than those of Casemiro, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric, the players who have prevented him from having more prominence in his nine seasons at the white club.

The Brazilian pivot has an average of one goal every 10 games with the Real Madrid, with whom he has scored goals in 314 clashes. The German has accumulated 25 goals in almost the same games (342) while the Balkan has 20 goals in 414 appearances with the white shirt. Both average 0.7 goals per game and, in addition, they add many more minutes than the man from Malaga, increasingly a substitute since 2018.

Against him Elche, thinking about the extension, Ancelotti he took hold of Isco to relieve an insipid Jovic, who again tiptoed across the pitch. The entry of the man from Malaga removed references to the Elche rearguard, very tired and not very tense in extra time. In a play started by casemiro on the left flank, the Madrid found the goal with a subtle touch from Isco to deflect a left-footed shot from Ceballos, another player who performed well when required.

At Martínez, Isco’s service record was good. In 40 minutes he made 33 passes, made a shot and appeared all over the attacking front to associate himself and give fluidity to the game. Carlo Ancelotti, at a press conference, did not hesitate to congratulate both Isco and Eden Hazard. “It may be that they deserve to play more, but the past is past and we have to look forward. I know I can count on them and on a squad that has everything, an extraordinary character and that fights against adversity and never gives up”, he said.

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