It’s a great way to end 2023 at the Santiago Bernabeu. Four goals, one dominant goal and more than 70,000 spectators to see Carlo Ancelotti’s side return to the most sensible of La Liga.
Well, everyone knows that a Girona win at home on Monday will see Los Blancos move back into second place, but it’s a declared victory.
Villarreal arrived with thoughts of surprising a few – Marcelino suggested his team had the weapons to do so – but it didn’t take long for the hosts to make it clear who would be bossing the occasion. A very rare break from those in yellow were only interruptions to the steady, composed build-up play that was being cheered on by the tens of thousands in attendance.
When the breakvia came midway through the break, there were no surprises. Jude Bellingham scored his 13th in 15 and the occasional unstoppable. Although it wasn’t spectacular, his header had to have enough strength and accuracy to beat Jorgensen. Made. And let’s not focus on the ball that discovered the English superstar, a delightful cross from Modric. It’s not surprising, either.
Rodrygo picked up a loose ball in the 37th minute to send the team back to the dressing room with a feeling of “done work”.
Los Blancos started the second half as they had left it and a third goal was only a matter of time. Well, that ‘moment’ also included Villarreal hinting at a surprise comeback when Morales finished off an adorable flow-through move 10 minutes after the break.
Ancelotti’s men didn’t take too long to remind themselves of where they were and the story of the game got back on track. Diaz – who caught the eye again – twisted the away defence inside out to restore the cushion, before Modric added a fourth just a few minutes later.
With only 70 minutes elapsed, we possibly would have noticed that the score had been extended even further, but substitutions were made knowing that the game had won. Sometimes tempers flare, Bellingham showed he’s more than skill by fighting for everything he could, and it was the best winter for the home fans.
Then heading to Madrid, vacation to Alavés, then rest and festive celebrations. We’ll have to wait to see if they’ll be more sensible when Santa Claus or the Three Wise Men arrive, but a greater distance from the likes of Barça and Atlético can only bode well.
Before we leave, Real Madrid and 15 other clubs will know their sides on Monday for the last 16 of the Champions League.
Here’s an advisor with everything you want to know.
Another matchday of La Liga is over and thank you for joining me. So far. . .
A very forged performance.
Objectives
Real Madrid: Bellingham 25′, Rodrygo 37′, Díaz 64′, Modric 68′
Villarreal: Morales 54′
Urine, urine, urine! The final whistle blew and Real Madrid took the 3 points. Summary to come.
Add another 4 minutes.
Capoue was a constant risk tonight, disrupting play and provoking his opponents, but overall he was quite effective. His last shot over Ceballos gave Rodrygo a chance from about 20 yards out.
He stepped up and took his free-kick towards goal, but Jorgensen claimed it. . . On the second try, fortunately for him.
A lot of corners for Madrid tonight and Valverde has just forced another one. A goal, the second, came from one of them, but I’d like to see more inventiveness from the players in those situations.
Penalty shouted for Villarreal but it is almost comical.
The visitors are having a little more of the play but failing to make any real progress towards Lunin’s goal. With several substitutions – an impressive Brahim has just taken his leave – this now feels like we’re just working our way to the inevitable ending.
Bellingham’s time is running out, Ceballos replaces him.
Maybe a wise decision from Ancelotti given the card situation and his blood appeared to be rising in temperature at times.
Both teams of players get stuck on both sides. A derived center may have been helpful, but Jorgensen is taller than the others and can use his hands.
It’s worth noting that whoever thinks Jude Bellingham is just a player’s Rolls Royce, look at him more.
In this second half a few decisions have not gone his way and he is responding to that with a desire to just be better, fighting even harder, encouraging the crowd to get louder, and generally saying ‘I’m the man, get me even more involved.’
Impressive things for a kid in his childhood.
POINT!!! Modric completes a house
It looked like Rodrygo was going to get his second, but as he appeared to have committed a foul (for which a penalty could have been awarded), the Croatian jumped up and signaled that there was no solution to be taken.
There’s a booking worth talking about. Bellingham is shown the card but he can’t believe it as his push on Altimira was to in mid-flight trying to get him to stop holding onto his shirt. The Villarreal man is also booked.
GOAL! Brahim Diaz finishes after a delightful dribble.
It was a flowing move and there were options available for the striker, which helped his cause, as he twisted and turned and slotted home. Lovely stuff.
Madrid began to come back with some half-chances that failed to materialize.
The Yellow Submarine regained its buoyancy, took off and breathed new life into the game. Wait, is an underwater shipment more effective in intensity and in the opposite direction?
Don’t think in metaphors, just keep in mind that the goal turns out to have given Marcelino’s men an explanation for why and they quickly seem to have more meaning in their game.
GOAL!!! And that’s in Villarreal
Ignore everything I’ve said below (well, other than “we’ve already noticed how momentum can change”), as Terrats points out with a great play from the visitors.
Let’s see what that does to the flow of the game. I’m guessing not much…
If 70,500 is the answer, what is the question?
No, Bellingham’s hourly wage!
The visitors struggle to a) hold the ball for too long and b) when they have it, locate a meaningful pass or create an opportunity.
A very solid and confident performance continued from the Whites in those opening moments of the second half.
What a great play from the Madrid. Si simple, pass from behind, with Lunin, in the top left of the field, after all opening a chance for Brahim Díaz who puts Jorgensen straight in.
He deserved a goal.
They were out! Madrid shoots and shoots from left to right before my eyes.
Okay, they’re leaving. Let’s get back to the game. . .
As I mentioned before the game, Bellingham was Leverkusen’s Boniface at the U23 level and contributed to the goals. His header tonight gets him back in shape.
Like Real Madrid’s strategy when they signed Vinicius and Rodrygo, they knew that the most productive edition of the players would take some time, despite early signs of promise.
According to OptaJosé, Rodrygo has now scored his ninth of 11 in all competitions. A serious recovery.
Goals: Bellingham 25′; Rodrygo 37′
urinate! The whistle blows and so it will be for the first half.
The hosts have put in a strong performance and a huge boost in momentum would be needed if we are to see anything more than a win in the final game at the Bernabeu in 2023.
There are already similarities to a boxing tour, and I say that with no disrespect to the visitors. Madrid keeps their sides in conflict and sometimes just plays with them, hoping to strike the blow.
Six minutes to get up here (injuries, substitutions and VAR control)
Modric and Jude mix again to wonderful effect, when you see the Englishman running down the left, giving him plenty of grass to run on. But then, when the yellow jerseys go by, he slips and somehow, with what looks like a bad foot, slides the ball past the trajectory of Rodrypass, who almost scores the goal.
The match already looked positive in favor of the home team, but the goals only reinforced the sense of direction towards which this result is headed.
Obviously, we’ve seen enough football in our time to know that momentum can change, but so far there’s no sign of it.
GOAL! Rodrygo doubled Madrid’s lead.
He is a little disjointed in the area from the corner, the ball slides towards the Brazilian who passes it into the corner of the net. Composite finish.
OBJECTIVE. . . Hold on. Judged offside.
Wait a little longer, the VAR takes a look. It will be cancelled. . .
Great was Rodrygo, who overcame part of his marker’s backyard and fired a low cross. . . which, for Madrid, eludes everyone.
Nacho takes Alaba’s place.
Alaba is down and he looks really worried as he beckons on the medical team to help him. He’s holding his knee.
His teammates also recommend that he be bad and that the Austrian be helped off the field. I’ll check it for an update on that.
The noise increased a level or two after that lens. “Hello Jude,” as usual, echoed through the stadium.
Marcelino was forced to make an early substitution, with Álex Baena having to leave the box with a knock. The following spoke: Ramón Terrats.
Jude is there with a hard head.
What a great help from Modric, putting Bellingham between three defenders, but the strength and precision of the header were needed to beat Jorgensen completely in the Englishman’s art.
Madrid convert their play from left to right, with the full-backs pushing to give width. Nothing opens up, so Modric approaches the edge of the box and tries his luck by cutting the most sensitive part of the crossbar while Jorgensen dives towards him. .
A few inches down and in, but yeah, if my aunt had done it. . . I know.
Gerard Moreno has been on the ground lately and the grimace on his face suggests that it is a painful blow. The challenge seemed harmless.
The striker gets up and moves forward cautiously. Let’s see if he can continue.
He goes straight back to the other end and Ilias pulls the cause from a distance. He does so with several pairs of legs, but Lunin is pleased to see him walk away from his stallion.
After a midfield start, Madrid attacked and Brahin found himself with a single goalscorer on the right side of the goal. A shoulder drop, a brief backward lift, and a hard attacker followed, but Jorgensen stopped comfortably on his fence. mail.
It’s been all Madrid in this brief opening period but the visitors have just shown their threat, a breakaway leading to three attempts at goal, the best falling to Akhomach.
A good reminder for hosts that they may not get everything they want.
Jude again. This time the midfielder is all alone in the Villarreal box as a terrible attempt at a header back to Jorgensen lands with him. He probably couldn’t have imagined that he didn’t have a huge Danish keeper bearing down on him so tried to power a header from seven yards. It didn’t work.
We’ve just seen for the first time Bellingham’s elegance as he walks past his canopy defender with the simplest of strokes. Its middle part is too long but too easy.
Modric gets furious (well, mildly, Modricy style) when the referee whistles for the ball against him in the middle of the field. It’s a smart decision, but I can understand why the Croatian got frustrated because the striker had a negligible advantage. effect on his game.
It didn’t take long for Madrid to win the ball back and get the most out of the XI to take an early throw-in. Kroos finished the first half by sending it to Lucas but the cross was well defended and cleared.
And the whistle blows to start the match. Villarreal pushed us forward with shots from right to left in front of my eyes.
Before we get the ball rolling, there is a minute of rememberance for former Madrid player Jose Luna. Perfectly observed.
The players are out on the pitch and there’s a lot of love being shown, hugs between players, and a big embrace between the two experienced managers. Maybe it’s the festive spirit kicking in…
The stadium is almost full, as we arrived five minutes before the action. As far as I know, the warm-ups went without injuries and the final recommendations will be given in the locker room.
One more note on England’s superstar, at least for now. According to ESPN’s accompanying publication, Bellingham has beaten Victor Boniface (it would be great if he joined a Scottish team) in the race to become Europe’s most sensible goal contributor this season.
You can do something about it in the next few hours and who would have the courage to bet against it?
No doubt you will have noticed several angles of Bellingham’s goal opposite to Betis. It was a great quiet play to complete, but did you see what he did when he ran away to celebrate?
Seeing a lone madridista in a sea of greenery, he blew him a kiss and pointed at him. Keep the class, Jude.
In his first 14 games for Madrid, the young Englishman has already scored 12. A comeback if he had been a striker and he isn’t.
Despite the fanfare and glowing headlines that the media (yes, adding this one!) continue to convey about the player, I recently found it appealing to talk to some experienced members of the club. While they are extremely happy with his initial form, they are cautious, believing Jude will most likely enjoy less impressive periods, and enthusiasts want to be patient as he grows at the club. Wise words.
It was a disappointing performance in the last La Liga match of those two teams.
Madrid drew 1-1 against Real Betis, allowing Girona to take the lead. Villarreal were beaten 3-0 by Real Sociedad and have a lot to do.
Well, casually wander around the ground, notice how it intentionally cushions the surface. Small margins.
The video screen recently installed at Real Madrid’s Bernabéu Stadium continues to move forward. Here’s a quick rundown of what inmates can see.
The answer to this is Lunin.
Yes, the Real Madrid coach opted for the Ukrainian with Kepa, on loan from Chelsea, on the bench. Here’s an article we did about Lunin’s wife that said: “If there’s a club he plays for, we’ll leave Madrid. “
Carlo Ancelotti’s record with Real Madrid in La Liga contrasts with Villarreal’s winning percentage of just 25%, with two wins, 4 draws and two defeats in 8 games.
This is their second-lowest success rate against any team in the league, higher than their 22% win rate against Atletico Madrid, where they have two wins, two draws, and five defeats in nine games.
Thank you OptaJosé!
Ancelotti’s headlines:
Lunin; Lucas, Rüdiger, Alaba, Mendy; Kroos, Modric, Valverde, Bellingham; Rodrygo, Brahim.
How much have we all dreamed about stepping out to play in a competitive match here at the Santiago Bernabéu? If only we hadn’t chosen a different path, right?
With about an hour to go before kick-off, the surrounding streets and bars fill up in a big way, and that will soon be reflected in the stands.
Thank you for the reply, Mr. Marcellin. There is more here than you said.
“There are wounded. There are many in some express positions, but that’s not an excuse. We have to compete. We have to give everything in the two remaining games. The setting and the opponent make this one of the best. Horny peak of the season. We have optimism, ambition to try to win. They have 19 problems out of 21 imaginable and have only conceded 3 goals. We have the weapons to hurt them. All we have to do is get it right.
“We will try not to concede. If we can do that, we’ll earn a point. But you can’t just think about defending. Football is about mastering all phases of the game. Balance gives you the chance to win. “
Just three points off the relegation places will be a massive concern for the Yellow Submarine and so taking something from this game, despite it being one of the toughest fixtures in the schedule, would be a much-needed confidence boost.
Do they have the weapons to cause Madrid problems though? If only someone could answer that in the next post…
As you can see, and I probably would have talked about this in my appearance, Los Blancos need a win to keep the pressure on Girona at the top of La Liga and be in first position for at least 24 hours.
They’ll also want to keep a sizeable gap between them and those chasing behind.
Today we took a look at what’s new with the team and the injuries that come with it. As our Will explains, the good news for Carlo Ancelotti on Christmas Eve is that the recovery room is emptying out as more and more people do. Compatible players return to the squad ahead of a busy era for Madrid.
Aurélien Tchouameni returned to the squad for the first time in more than a month and part after injuring his left foot in the Clasico against Barça. However, Los Blancos still have several absentees, with Carvajal, Camavinga, Vinicius, Arda Güler, Courtois and Militao still missing.
Queues will be confirmed soon. . .
A slightly different approach but I rather like it, especially the focused little faces on them, and some questionable beard action.
How much ‘blocking’ will the away defence be involved in tonight?
I like to dive into the minds of social media groups before the big games and you can see that the other people running the white account have modern graphical overlays.
So let’s go to Villarreal and see what they did. . .
Did you know that there are also TV broadcasts of this game?Crazy, right? Despite my words bringing the game to life, you can also make the colored pixels jump to the screen.
To help you find your most suitable provider, our Andy has created this practical guide. It’s great like this!
Hello and very welcome to you. My calling is Calum and I’m here to bring you all the action (well, at least all the action that matters) at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium when Real Madrid host Villarreal in La Liga EA Sports.
Los Blancos are in second place in the Spanish league, but they can overtake the wonderful Girona at the top when they play Alaves on Monday.
Sports fanatic turned journalist, born and raised in Scotland, passionate about football. He is also an avid follower of the NFL, NBA, golf, and tennis, among others, and has an eye on the latest in science, technology, and existing events. As editor-in-chief of AS USA, he uses his experience in operations and marketing to improve reader satisfaction.
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