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José Luis Morales did not debut in the First Division until he was 27 years old and his coach, Paco López, did not do so until he was 50. Two oddities. Talent like this hardly takes so long to surface in today's football, packed with promising vigilantes. One and the other are the flag of a Levante that has spent ten of the last eleven seasons in First, by far the best streak in its history. With one day less rest, a Madrid that is good is measured: two wins, two draws and two losses in the last six games (follow the game live on As.com).
Retired Aduriz, Morales is the best example that also in football it is possible to run negatively, which in athletic terms means going faster in the second half of a race. Morales, before Pedja, before Velociraptor, before El Mudito (all nicknames from his long stay in modest football) and now El Comandante, tried unsuccessfully as a child in Madrid, with whom he always sympathized, and He ended up playing in Parla and Fuenlabrada until he was twenty-three years old: “I thought then that I would never get out of Third and Second B”. Then came the opportunity for the Levante subsidiary and later a transfer to Eibar, in Second. And suddenly, everything was on their side: a great year with the gunsmiths, a Levante in First and a technician unemployed, Mendilibar, who saw him many afternoons in Ipurua and that he signed for the granotas the following summer. Everything fit.
Morales is already Levante's top scorer and the game copichichi arrives, with three goals in three games. A very different start to last season, in which he only scored four goals in the League, one of them the one that knocked down Madrid in Valencia. Roger, the team's second cannon, aims to accompany him in La Cerámica, the house of Levante while the works in the Ciutat last.
The good star of Paco López
In them is Paco Lopez, whose irruption in professional football after a very long career in minor categories (Catarroja, Benidorm, Alcoyano, Cartagena, Valencia and Villarreal subsidiaries …) was dazzling. He took the team in 2018 one point out of the relegation zone and scored 25 points out of 33 possible down the stretch. His daring soccer proposal caught on.
With Paco López, Levante has won two games out of four against Madrid. Relevant data if, in addition, it is taken into account that the Zidane team has been asking for the time for months. Seven of his last eight victories have been by the least, including the two of this League. The Granota team comes to the game with its first international with Spain in 56 years, Campaña, and with a better image than efficiency (three games and only three points).
The opposite of Madrid, which has been left without a right back due to the injuries of Carvajal and Odriozola in 24 hours. So Nacho could have his first opportunity, with some option for Lucas Vázquez, in a position he already held in his last four games last year. Militao, Kroos, Hazard and Mariano will also be missing. Too many casualties after only three games.
Asensio and Vinicius
Given the puncture of playing with two ends, the forecast is a return to 4-3-3, with Asensio and Vinicius. It is difficult for Zidane to see the Brazilian, the main player with Solari. When the Frenchman returned to the bench, he had torn the ligaments in his knee. He played only 120 minutes in the last three games. Last year it was the twelfth most used and in this he has been a substitute in two of the three commitments despite the loss of Hazard. It is removable despite the fact that none of those around Benzema has offered a better impression.
Asensio, first on the list for that ownerless right wing, is still coming back. The pandemic allowed him to play ten games last year, which he considered lost, and scored three goals. That scoring ability is essential now that Benzema's star, which has not yet been released, seems to be fading. Five blank games was his worst streak last year. Blackouts like this make this Madrid tremble without goal alternatives.