By Keerti
20th September 2018
20th September 2018
Great start for the road to Wanda!
When Cristiano Ronaldo was being forced away from the field, tears in his eyes on a fateful Champions League matchday, on the other side of the spectrum his former club was pummeling its opponent with conviction. When Madrid met Roma at the Santiago Bernabeu, the favorites were predetermined. Roma had to make an effort to outclass their Spanish counterpart. Roma has always been sort of an enigma. They start as an underdog against many of the premier European teams, but with their small stature yet hard-boiled ambitions they’ve managed to upset a few. That was expected of them in this game as well.
It’s safe to say that Roma just failed to turn up. Their midfield looked clueless without Radja and Strootman. They just couldn't handle the high pressing of Madrid and often gifted the ball back when in possession. The counterattacks by Cengiz Ünder and Edin Dzeko often got stopped due to lack of support and constant hounding by Madrid players. Their defense was constantly terrorized by the Madrid attackers and midfielders as well. De Rossi picked up a Yellow at the edge of the box, which ultimately initiated his team’s doom. Manolas got easily handled by newcomer Diaz in the closing minutes of the match. Roma defenders were leaving space open for counter attacks. They were letting Madrid midfield dictate the play on their terms and by cutting in through passes. Even though he was Roma's man of the match for a few amazing stops but can't really blame Olsen, the Roma goalkeeper, for the goals as there was nothing he could do against such clinical finishing.
There was more right than wrong for the Whites in this match. The midfield was proactive. Modric was as emphatic as his usual self. Kroos was the midfield general, linking up well and was ever-present for a pass back. Casemiro's presence in the team was a breath of fresh air which negated any possibility of defensive liability. The defence was not tested by Roma leaving a few futile attacks. Ramos was composed but took one for the team as Kroos made a loose pass. Varane was making successful tackles and making crucial interceptions. Carvajal was balanced both attack and defense wise. Marcelo was Marcelo, he has changed his role to level we can't really say he is a left back can't even say he is wingback, whatever he does is just world class. Navas didn’t have much to do, but he was sharp as ever, Courtois' arrival has made him sharper. The only area of hiccup was the attack line. We were not efficient till Isco's slow-motion-esque freekick, the scoreline could've been more overwhelming but first game of UCL, so a great start.
MVPs:
Players performed as a team and were ever-present to give support and off the ball counter-press was wonderful and effective. Some players outshowed others even though everyone had a great game.
Top 5 performers:
1. Modric: 9/10
2. Isco: 8.5/10
3. Kroos: 7.5/10
4. Varane: 7.5/10
5. Bale: 7/10
Key Moment: Mariano's debut goal and that too a stunner in stoppage time, showed there's lot to come!
The Santiago Bernabeu is set to host Espanyol next and Roma is to pack their bags and travel to Bologna for their Serie A Fixture. Madrid would like to improve their attack in order to capitalize the clutch situations in tight matches. So that must be the prime objective of Lopetegui while building his squad for this season. Here’s a toast to both the teams and best wishes for their respective leagues.
It’s safe to say that Roma just failed to turn up. Their midfield looked clueless without Radja and Strootman. They just couldn't handle the high pressing of Madrid and often gifted the ball back when in possession. The counterattacks by Cengiz Ünder and Edin Dzeko often got stopped due to lack of support and constant hounding by Madrid players. Their defense was constantly terrorized by the Madrid attackers and midfielders as well. De Rossi picked up a Yellow at the edge of the box, which ultimately initiated his team’s doom. Manolas got easily handled by newcomer Diaz in the closing minutes of the match. Roma defenders were leaving space open for counter attacks. They were letting Madrid midfield dictate the play on their terms and by cutting in through passes. Even though he was Roma's man of the match for a few amazing stops but can't really blame Olsen, the Roma goalkeeper, for the goals as there was nothing he could do against such clinical finishing.
There was more right than wrong for the Whites in this match. The midfield was proactive. Modric was as emphatic as his usual self. Kroos was the midfield general, linking up well and was ever-present for a pass back. Casemiro's presence in the team was a breath of fresh air which negated any possibility of defensive liability. The defence was not tested by Roma leaving a few futile attacks. Ramos was composed but took one for the team as Kroos made a loose pass. Varane was making successful tackles and making crucial interceptions. Carvajal was balanced both attack and defense wise. Marcelo was Marcelo, he has changed his role to level we can't really say he is a left back can't even say he is wingback, whatever he does is just world class. Navas didn’t have much to do, but he was sharp as ever, Courtois' arrival has made him sharper. The only area of hiccup was the attack line. We were not efficient till Isco's slow-motion-esque freekick, the scoreline could've been more overwhelming but first game of UCL, so a great start.
MVPs:
Players performed as a team and were ever-present to give support and off the ball counter-press was wonderful and effective. Some players outshowed others even though everyone had a great game.
Top 5 performers:
1. Modric: 9/10
2. Isco: 8.5/10
3. Kroos: 7.5/10
4. Varane: 7.5/10
5. Bale: 7/10
Key Moment: Mariano's debut goal and that too a stunner in stoppage time, showed there's lot to come!
The Santiago Bernabeu is set to host Espanyol next and Roma is to pack their bags and travel to Bologna for their Serie A Fixture. Madrid would like to improve their attack in order to capitalize the clutch situations in tight matches. So that must be the prime objective of Lopetegui while building his squad for this season. Here’s a toast to both the teams and best wishes for their respective leagues.
¡Hala Madrid!
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