Buck up Real Madrid

 

Stadio Giuseppe Meazza – a venue where Zinedine Zidane played a lot as a player during his time while playing for Juventus. He has fond memories here as a player and as a coach, his revolution started!  

On that eventful night in 2016, Zidane witnessed Real Madrid to lift the trophy of the UEFA Champions League by beating the bitter rivals Atletico Madrid in a penalty-shootout defying all the odds in a season, where it seemed that the Los Blancos had lost their true identity under Rafa Benitez, who replaced Carlo Ancelotti.

Zidane took over in the middle of the season and the rest is history.  

Real Madrid enjoyed a hat-trick Champions League victory and the French legend’s position as one of the best coaches in the history of European Club Football was ensured.

He returned again to fix things in Santiago Bernabeu and four and a half years later, with 11 trophies to his name, Zidane returns to the famous stadium to see his club take on Inter, although when the Nerazzurri are hosts it is called the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza.

Real Madrid would face Inter of Antonio Conte off the back of a 4-1 loss to Valencia and a 1-1 draw at Villarreal in their previous two La Liga matches, while they have only won twice in their past seven games in Europe.

On the Inter would face the Spanish giants after earning full points against Torino, where they bounced back from two goals down and winning by 4-2. It was not a performance that would impress and earn the confidence of the Inter fans, still, Conte is determined to give his all against the Los Blancos.

This is the clash of the Titans at San Siro – a clash for keep breathing in the competition because in the Group of Death neither Inter nor Real Madrid are sitting in a very comfortable position.  Inter are bottom, Real Madrid are the second bottom, and although Borussia Mönchengladbach and Shakhtar Donetsk are not out of reach, nor is the possibility of failing to get through this phase at all

For Real Madrid, tonight’s match would be all about the prestige of the club and its enriched history. A defeat might leave them featuring in the Europa League, which would not only take the sheen-off the competition but also, invite catastrophe in the coming days.

This season, in the Champions League, the journey of the Los Blancos has been a cagey affair – They had been rescued twice already and almost produced another dramatic comeback in the opening game, but still aren’t safe – a situation, which is quite familiar for Zidane and more often, as a player and coach, he has crawled back into the game and risen to the top.

This has not been an easy season for anyone, but time and again, injuries and COVID-19 have tested the character of the teams. It is not about a fresh plan in every match but more about how a team copes with adversity and delivers the best – the best exhibition of character is the order of the day.

The defence of the Los Blancos has been an issue this season and without the injured Sergio Ramos, things might be tricky. Before the international break, Madrid conceded four at Valencia - there were three penalties and an own goal and before that, the newly-promoted Cadiz beat them by 1-0, and it could have been more in a bizarre display by the Real Madrid players, especially the defenders. 

Maintaining the shape at the back would be a challenging task for Zidane because he might have noticed how Lulaku and Lautaro Martinez sneaked through and bagged full points against Torino. These two players, especially, Lukaku would kill you, if you allow him minimum spaces.

Villarreal midfielder Manu Trigueros felt his side should have defeated Madrid after they failed to get a winning goal during a final half an hour in which they dominated only to draw 1-1.

How vulnerable the Real Madrid backline has been this season astonishes everyone because it had been this backline, the solidity of which ensured the Los Blancos the La Liga title last season.

Then the midfield needs compactness and the return of Casemiro should do a world of good because he maintains the balance at the center of the park and at the backline.

Then the frontline: The tree-men, who started against Villarreal failed to impress despite Mariano Diaz scoring the early goal. Eden Hazard is a big flop for Real Madrid and Zidane needs to put faith in Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo Goes, and Marco Asensio more.

Real Madrid need to buck up and winning is the only option.

Note: This article has been posted at Cricketsoccer as CSdesk on 25/11/2020 Buck up Real Madrid

Thank You

Faisal Caesar