Real Madrid said goodbye to the year at the Bernabéu with a comfortable victory against Villarreal that returns them to the leadership of the League while waiting for what Girona does tomorrow, Monday, against Alavés in Montilivi. The night was peaceful for the whites, very in tune from the start, aware of being able to open a gap against Barcelona, which they already leave behind seven points.
Ancelotti had a team with five changes compared to Saturday's match against Betis, with the novelty of Lunin returning to goal in place of Kepa, who played against Union Berlin in the Champions League. The message seems clear. The Ukrainian goalkeeper has earned the starting position with his good performances. He was hardly demanded and could not confirm the good moment of him.
Tonight's match had the morbid reunion between Fede Valverde and Alex Baena after the former's attack last season, but this time there was not the slightest incident on the field of play between the two numbers fifteen. In fact, Baena's enemy was Lucas Vázquez. A stomp from the Galician full-back broke the Submarino midfielder very early. Baena left the field crying in the 28th minute.
The Submarino was able to win at the Bernabéu last season (2-3) but Marcelino's team is much worse and is in dangerous positions in the League despite retaining some quality players. He was little match for a Madrid team that, even with significant injuries, has managed to maintain a good level. From now on he is going to recover troops. Last night Tchouaméni was already on the bench, absent for a month and a half due to his broken toe in the Montjuïc classic.
The first part was a monologue from Madrid, which surrounded Jorgensen's door. The only virtue of the Submarine was to appear organized, accumulating many people behind.
The goal could be seen coming and it came in the 25th minute through the usual route, a cross from Modric and a header from Bellingham, undetectable by the defenders. The English thing seems like science fiction for a midfielder. In the League he has thirteen goals in fifteen games, to which he has to add another four in the Champions League in five. Hey Jude has become the soundtrack of the Bernabéu.
In the midst of Villarreal's confusion came the 2-0 score in the 39th minute, the work of Rodrygo who, after a corner kick, resolved a commotion in the area, a goal awarded by the VAR after several minutes of waiting. It could have been even worse for Villarreal because no penalty was awarded in a knockdown by Albiol against Bellingham. Before the break, Madrid had only one bad news, the injury of Alaba, who suffered a bad twist in his knee in a dispute with Gerard Moreno. Captain Nacho entered in his place.
The second half began with Villarreal putting more pressure on them and at 54 the Submarine made it 2-1 practically in their first and only approach to Lunin's area, a deep center from Terrats that Morales took advantage of very well. Madrid called for offside but Rüdiger broke it.
The match was open again, although Madrid quickly took control of the game and once again trapped Villarreal in their area. A monumental play by Brahim, leaving Mandi and Cuenca and adjusting his shot, made it 3-1 in the 64th minute. Madrid was unleashed. Modric would make it 4-1 in a play in which there was a penalty from Cuenca but the ball came dead to the Croatian, who had not scored for a year and had just missed a penalty.
Sunken, Villlarreal showed bad manners to cut with kicks and roughness that continued to score more goals while the Bernabéu chanted their team's passes with olés. Tchouaméni had ten minutes. There wasn't much more because the whites weren't successful in the shot. The Bernabéu says goodbye to the year with very good feelings.
