Liga, Espanyol-Real Madrid 1-3: Benzema inexorable

While Barça revels in Camp Nou’s bath of enthusiasm, Real Madrid suffers with Espanyol to clinch their third (out of three) league victory. It all happens a few kilometers away from the blaugrana party, in Cornellá El-Prat, where Ancelotti moves forward with Vinicius, but must pay the former Joselu’s tax (scoring against Real Madrid for the seventh time in nine matches), before that the usual Karim Benzema saves him, with a goal in the 88th minute and a free kick in the 100th minute, at the end of an evening with little play and many difficulties.

Here is the answer to Robert Lewandowski, who in the 4-0 of a couple of hours earlier had scored another brace. The feeling is that it will be a duel that we will carry on for a long time during the season.

First half

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Match 2 AD (after Casemiro) is that of the debut of the new midfield trio, in which Aurélien Tchouaméni has joined Kroos and Modric. It is precisely the newcomer who immediately gives Madrid an edge: at 12 ‘he pulls out the right outside to find Vinicius vertically, who is pocketed in the area by cutting from left to right and crosses on the far post. 1-0. It took Tchouaméni three games to deliver the first assist, while Casemiro hadn’t given one in the last 18. With the advantage, Real Madrid calmly managed the first half until the 38th minute, when Souza warms Courtois’s hands from 30 meters. From there it is a crescendo Espanyol. Two minutes later, the first entry into the pericos area, with Joselu finding the right move, but Rüdiger closes the door in his face. On the corner, Cabrera touches the post with a header. Real seems to have lowered the tension, and in fact at 43 ‘collects the goal of 1-1: Gil diverts himself centrally and verticalizes in the area for Joselu; Militao in marking fails to stop the shot, Courtois yes, but the former Madrid player scores the same on the rebound. The blancos go to the locker room with 71% possession, but having shot less than their opponents.

Second half

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The return to the field in the second half does not give comforting signals. Espanyol arrives more in the area, while Real gets stuck in a slow maneuver. At 57 ‘Ancelotti inserts Rodrygo for Valverde and Camavinga for Modric, looking for a shock. A minute later, however, another colossal opportunity for Joselu, who finds the ball on the edge of the small area after a corner and does not score only for a miracle by Courtois. Benzema wakes up, committing Lecomte from the limit to 62 ‘. At 65 ‘he corrects a Kroos shot on the net, but is offside. Nothing to do, but it’s just warming up. At 75 ‘he tries to take over the team, otherwise only agitated by Camavinga and Vinicius, and from the edge he has a good chance, deflected. At 88 ‘, here he is Karim, who, as always, saves Real Madrid when the going gets very tough, bagging a cross from Rodrygo at the far post. In the very long recovery, the Brazilian winger would also mark, but the flag is raised. The referee, called to the Var, however, sees a foul contact by the goalkeeper Lecomte on Ceballos, and changes his mind: it is not offside, but free-kick and red. Cabrera, defender, goes to goal and Benzema stabs him. 1-3. A rich prize for a tarnished Madrid, which however takes the lead in La Liga, with 9 points, together with Betis. According to Barcelona, ​​at 7 like Villarreal.