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Real Madrid cruised to a 5-2 victory after extra time in the Copa del Rey to beat Celta Vigo in the round of 16 at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu on Thursday night. Kylian Mbappé gave the team a first-half lead which Vinícius Júnior doubled early in the second half, before two late goals allowed Celta to equalize in stoppage time thanks to Jonathan Bamba and former Real Madrid player Marcos Alonso. The whites secured safe passage, but not until the second half of extra time with a double from Endrick on either side of a goal from Fede Valverde.
Three answers
1. What would it be like? real Madrid How to react to the fiasco of the Super Cup final?
Just a few days ago, Real Madrid suffered one of its most embarrassing defeats in recent years with a 5-2 loss to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final. Recovery would take an emotional and mental toll, and Real Madrid had to rise to the challenge. Perhaps that is why Carlo Ancelotti opted for such a strong team. Celta Vigo were a worthy opponent, having drawn with Barcelona in November to move into mid-table in La Liga, and perhaps Ancelotti underestimated their abilities with his substitutions. The decision to take off big personalities and strong players Luka Modrić and Kylian Mbappé moments after a third goal was disallowed seemed to be a sliding doors moment (more on this later).
2. How many rotations would Carlo Ancelotti make?
Before this match there was a lot of talk about how many changes Carlo Ancelotti would make to his team. Players such as Fede Valverde and Jude Bellingham were desperate for rest, but there were doubts over whether Ancelotti would be able to do without some of the players who looked most vulnerable against Barcelona. A chance to rest and avoid the spotlight seemed like a reasonable idea. However, Ancelotti only made three changes. Two were already widely predicted: Thibaut Courtois was not even included in the team and allowed Andriy Lunin to make an unusual start, and Ferland Mendy and Fran García continued to rotate at left back. The other two saw the aforementioned midfield duo rest. In came Raúl Asencio, intriguingly allowing Aurélien Tchouameni to return to midfield in a holding role, while the other was Brahim Díaz replacing Bellingham in the attacking midfield role.
3. Would Raúl Asencio seem more comfortable than Aurélien Tchouameni?
One of those who entered was Raúl Asencio. He looked poised and confident, winning both of his rushing duels and completing over 90% of his passes, but then in the final minutes everything fell apart. His first mistake allowed the first goal, jumping hastily to allow Jonathan Bamba a shot on goal when Asencio could have stood his ground and been a bigger obstacle, and the second conceded a penalty in stoppage time. There were glimpses of the raw youngster that may make Ancelotti think twice about including him in the team, and perhaps support the manager’s argument for not playing Asencio more regularly. Bamba’s pace and strength off the bench were too much for a tired Asencio, so it’s hard to imagine how he will fare against other elite forwards.
three questions
1. Did the Bernabéu fans do well by showing their frustrations?
Before kicking a ball, there were some murmurs of discontent in the Bernabéu. Carlo Ancelotti’s name was whistled and booed by fans in some parts of the stadium, while Lucas Vázquez and Aurélien Tchouameni were also subjected to the same treatment when they took the ball at different times early in the match. Fans will always be divided over whether it is the right course of action to voice such criticism of your own players, but the Bernabeu are known for their lack of patience and lack of patience with their own players. If Cristiano Ronaldo himself could be whistled during a poor run of form, it stands to reason that an underperforming defender could receive harsh treatment.
2. Where was Kylian Mbappé at the beginning of the season?
Seeing this version of Kylian Mbappé, it seems difficult to believe that just a month ago numerous sectors of Real Madrid fans questioned whether his signing could already be considered a failure. The Frenchman seems very confident, possibly the only player on the team in that position at the moment, and he is finally adapting. His marauding dribbles are perhaps an even clearer indicator than his goals, with this being another clear one. piece of evidence. At the beginning of the year, Mbappé could have hesitated or looked for the cut instead of firing a rocket with pure power to beat Iván Villar at his near post. This is the Mbappé everyone was waiting for.
3. What went wrong after Arda Güler “scored”?
For just under a minute it seemed that Real Madrid had done the easy job of the night. With the lead 3-0, not everything was easy with a loud shout for a penalty for Celta de Vigo in the build-up to the first goal, but Real Madrid controlled the match and avoided the nerves that could be expected. after a difficult week. Having the Turkish teenager come off the bench to put the icing on the cake seemed like a form of celebration to allow those who wanted to return home early to get out (it was 11:12 p.m. at the time). But then it was called offside. Then, six minutes later, Celta de Vigo scored. And just six minutes later the score was tied. This mental fragility was exactly what Carlo Ancelotti would have been desperate to avoid, but it is worrying because it is not new. Does anyone remember conceding two goals in the final minutes against Alavés earlier this season?
