Real Madrid-Villarreal La Liga de Benzema

Two Leagues, three Champions, eleven titles. It is no longer flower, but flora and fauna. Zidane has gone twice from Madrid to heaven, from the field and from the bench. It is, therefore, a legend squared. His three European Cups as a coach gave him the title of excellence. The two Leagues, the legion of honor, which is held in highest esteem because it speaks of perseverance, insistence, sacrifice and strength of mind and legs in the four seasons of the year. Even in five, as in this tournament that he spent two summers for reasons beyond his control.

At Di Stéfano, Madrid raised its arms after this 35-day sprint that has led it to regain the title three years later. Ten wins in a row coming out as a projectile from confinement with a very little renewed squad, somehow devoid of some of their figures due to injuries (Hazard) or omission of relief (Bale, James …), but strengthened by the ambition of his classics (Ramos and Benzema, fundamentally). It is also the first ‘major’ without Cristiano and the 40 goals he had under his arm. And with merit divided between veterans and novices, between players who have already been in two world wars and the baby-boom promoted by Florentino when he saw the market go wild.

The penultimate station measured him with a shaved opponent, without Albiol, Alberto Moreno, Iborra or Cazorla leaving, all reserved for Sunday, in their final against Eibar. Calleja made some offensive cut by putting one side (Rubén Peña) ahead of another (Mario) and taking Chukwueze as second tip. Zidane, on the other hand, wanted Hazard for the big day. It's hard to deprive players of that tonnage from the truth games. The Belgian investigated in interior positions to open a corridor to Mendy, the next whirlwind. But Madrid's springboard, as in the last two weeks, was Modric, an inexhaustible midfielder, Ballon d'Or the day before yesterday. A player of the highest couture who has given head to these years of eurogloria. On the principle of Modric's authority, in its symphonic version, Madrid built the party. It was a domain with a network, without weighing down too much but without granting anything to Villarreal, a team as beautiful as it is good, one of those with whom football is cruel because they go through life and the League without an escort.

It happened on the edge of half an hour. Madrid came and went, feinting, pulling away, waiting for his moment, and Chakla gave it to him, with an error while his team left. Casemiro stole the ball, measured Modric's space and time on the pass and officially resolved Benzema. The Holy Trinity of the match and, at times, of the championship.

Madrid had the game in his fist without accelerating, without burning the wheel, using the ball as a shield. In the post-pandemic, he has come to believe that defending well is being right. Villarreal seemed like a helpless group, passed out as soon as they crossed the midfield.

Calleja at half-time put Bruno into a team whose midfield had been cut short. The government of a party with little activity did not change, the one that suited Madrid in its pedaling towards the title. As in Granada, Zidane changed its ends, the most common way to recharge batteries. And Calleja brought in Cazorla, whose purity has improved over the years.

The end was bizarre. Ramos earned an unclear penalty on an exit from behind. The central tried that conversion in pairs that Cruyff invented and Messi and Suárez replied. A baroque and unnecessary detail with so much at stake. Benzema scored with the assistance of the central defender, but he entered the area prematurely. Also a Villarreal player. So French was repeated and correct in natural luck. Madrid missed the goal because Iborra, header, pressed the scoreboard. And it had another very clear that, seen the umpteenth collapse of Barça, it would not have jeopardized the well-deserved wing of Madrid, again an incurable winner.