Real Madrid won (2-0) against Villarreal this Saturday on the ninth day of LaLiga EA Sports held at the Santiago Bernabéu to equal the leader FC Barcelona at the top of the table, although with one more game, thanks to two great shots from outside the area of Fede Valverde and Vinícius who sank the ‘Submarino’. Carlo Ancelotti’s team continues to look for its best version but also still has plenty of talent to solve the games even if it does not shine excessively. Villarreal, who aspired to overtake the whites in the table, did not have that punch despite having their chances and Madrid ended the slump of the last week on a night that was ultimately bitter due to Dani Carvajal’s injury. After missing the derby against Atlético last Sunday and losing during the week in the Champions League against Lille, the League champion resolved with some strategy and a Vinícius who took a missile at the squad when Ancelotti decided to move his pieces. At the beginning, Villarreal showed a better and more fluid connection to reach the rival goal, with Álex Baena showing off his good form. The Spanish international, Pépé and Barry were quite permissive in a weak defense by the locals. Madrid did not seem to have a clear path to the goal, but on a short corner kick, which Jude Bellingham let pass, Valverde shot the ball into the net, helped by a rebound from Baena. The ‘Submarine’ continued doing his thing and Pépé crashed it into the crossbar instantly. Madrid learned that their options were to look for Vinícius and the Brazilian was a nightmare for Kiko Femenía. Mbappé also galloped, although the Frenchman has room for improvement after his latest injury, and in case there was no doubt, the Bernabéu reminded a little more of Toni Kroos seeing the German among the public on the video scoreboard. The former midfielder will continue to play as long as Madrid’s game does not flow better, but this Saturday it was time to win no matter what to avoid a fateful week. After the restart, Marcelino’s team showed up again and Madrid escaped a penalty from Tchoauméni against Barry due to offside. However, Villarreal did not want a back-and-forth so as not to neglect the potential danger of the whites. The visiting coach asked for control and possession and Ancelotti decided to move pieces, removing Mbappé for Rodrygo and moving Vinícius to the center of the attack. The great favorite for the Ballon d’Or took a few minutes to make the difference inside, as he sent a ball into the top corner with a perfect shot in the 73rd minute. The 2-0 score had no reaction from Villarreal and Madrid experienced the outcome comfortably. of a match that was aiming to be much more eventful. However, in the last play, the Bernabéu remained cold, very cold, with screams of pain and the departure on a stretcher of Dani Carvajal, who was apparently seriously injured by Yeremy Pino. TECHNICAL SHEET: –RESULT: REAL MADRID, 2 – VILLARREAL, 0. (1-0, at halftime). –LINEUPS: REAL MADRID: Lunin; Carvajal, Tchoauméni, Rüdiger, Mendy; Camavinga (Militao, min.71), Valverde, Modric (Lucas Vázquez, min.90), Bellingham; Vinícius (Güler, min.80) and Mbappé (Rodrygo, min.71). VILLARREAL: Count; Femenía, Logan Costa, Albiol (Bailly, min.68), Cardona (Bernat, min.86); Comesaña, Gueye, Parejo (Terrats, min.79), Baena (Yeremy, min.68); Barry, Pépé (Ilias, min.68). –GOALS: 1 – 0, min.14, Valverde, 2 – 0, min.73, Vinícius. –REFEREE: Cuadra Fernández (C.Balear). He cautioned Femenía (min.33) at Villarreal. –STADIUM: Santiago Bernabéu, 73,842 spectators.
