Having been held against Atletico last weekend and beaten for the first time this season at Lille in midweek, Real Madrid have returned to winning ways.
Victory over Villarreal at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday night saw Carlo Ancelotti’s side drew level with Barcelona at the top of La Liga ahead of the Catalans’ game against Alaves today. Federico Valverde, Real’s best player since August, and Vinicius Junior, their most regular scorer, scored the goals which saw them prevail. Although, for long periods, this was far from a convincing performance.
A frustrated home crowd made clear their displeasure with whistles on two occasions in the opening 20 minutes. Though, in the end, even a return to winning ways was overshadowed by the serious knee injury suffered by Dani Carvajal.
Here, Mario Cortegana dissects the key talking points from a welcome win which came at a price.
Valverde, the perfect heir to Kroos
Valverde is a player who seems to take every game in his stride, but this was different. This performance was delivered with Toni Kroos watching on from the stands.
Just 125 days since celebrating Real’s 15th Champions League title, the German returned to the ground he called home for a 10 wonderful years. He surveyed the scene from a VIP box, watching on approvingly as his heir apparent took centre stage.
It had been Kroos who told Valverde, first privately and then publicly, that he wanted the Uruguayan to inherit his No 8 shirt — an honour that Valverde, who has worn boots sporting Kroos’ name this season, took on with pleasure. Their mutual respect is long-standing. Back in October 2022, Kroos took to social media to stress: “Fede Valverde top three in the world right now.”
Fede Valverde top 3 in the world right now
— Toni Kroos (@ToniKroos) October 16, 2022
They may not be the same type of player but, in the kind of central position where Kroos used to thrive, Valverde inspired Real Madrid again. He opened the scoring 14 minutes in with a searing shot from distance that flicked off Alex Baena, a player with whom he has had controversial brushes before.
Valverde’s wild celebration was a reminder that he is all-in, whether playing in a run-of-the-mill La Liga game or a major final. He now has three goals in all competitions this season — behind only Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius — and a pair of assists. It was only natural that those in the Bernabeu bellowed his name, just as they did that of his idol, Kroos, when his image flashed up on the big screens.
“He means a lot to me and he will for all my life,” Valverde said of Kroos post-match.
Valverde belts Real into the lead (Helios de la Rubia/Real Madrid via Getty Images)
Vinicius Jr puts on a show… and delivers a scare
With just over three weeks to go until the Ballon d’Or ceremony, an award everyone at Real Madrid believes will go to Vinicius Jr, the Brazilian put in another great performance.
The night started a little strangely for him. Usually, his is the last name read out over the loudspeaker when the teams are announced but, on this occasion, that honour was given to Luka Modric instead. Yet it was Vinicius Jr who would thrill the crowd most of all.
He was a nightmare for Kiko Femenia, whom he left sprawled on the turf early in the game. The full-back resorted to fouling him moments later and earned a yellow card. In the second half, Vinicius Jr, whose relationship with Spanish referees is strained, complained loudly after a blow to the face from Femenia went unpunished.
It was Vinicius Jr who liberated Mbappe in front of goal, only for the Frenchman to miss the target. The Brazilian was more ruthless when offered the chance to play as a No 9 and, collecting a pass from Valverde, hammered in his team’s second towards the end with a shot which conjured memories of Cristiano Ronaldo in his pomp. It was his 10th goal involvement of what is already a productive season.
But something was not right with Vinicius Jr. About 10 minutes before his goal, he had approached the touchline complaining of pain in his left shoulder, an issue which eventually forced him off the pitch with 11 minutes still to play. Ancelotti said he was suffering from severe neck pain and the player will undergo tests today.
In that context, there has to be a chance that he is withdrawn from the Brazil squad for their games against Chile and Peru this month.
A discomforted Vinicius Jr departs near the end (Guillermo Martinez/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Mbappe a starter despite France omission
Mbappe’s fitness has been a source of intrigue in recent weeks.
The striker played against Alaves and picked up a muscle injury that ruled him out of the Madrid derby and, according to the club, was expected to leave him on the sidelines for around three weeks. Yet, surprisingly, he was included in the squad that travelled to Lille for the Champions League group game in midweek.
There were rumours that he was travelling merely because it was a fixture back in his homeland against a team for whom his younger brother, Ethan, plays. Yet Mbappe ended up playing for over half an hour, even if he was unable to force parity as Real succumbed to a 1-0 defeat.
Having featured in that game, it was surprising he was not included by Didier Deschamps in the France squad for their Nations League fixtures against Israel and Belgium. Ancelotti was asked about the player’s omission at Saturday’s press conference. “I don’t want to express an opinion on what the national team coaches say,” he said. “Mbappe had a problem that seems to be resolved. It’s not 100 per cent resolved, but he trained normally yesterday. Deschamps has chosen not to call him up.”
The Athletic followed up with a second question for the Italian. “I don’t know if Mbappe has spoken to Deschamps,” added Ancelotti. “But I know that the club’s medical staff have spoken to the medical staff of his national team.”
Mbappe departs the scene after a frustrating night (Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
Mbappe started against Villarreal and played 71 minutes. The Frenchman was far from his best, with no shots on target and two blocked, including a one-on-one, and another that flew off target. Even so, Dani Parejo asked him for his shirt as the players departed the pitch at half time. A similar request had been lodged by Alaves players last month.
Carvajal and the sting in the tail
It had been a largely satisfying Saturday for Real Madrid and their fans until, with the game drifting to its conclusion and victory assured, Carvajal, who had just accepted the armband from Modric, competed for possession with Yeremy Pino. It was an innocuous action in stoppage time but it had serious consequences.
Carvajal screamed and fell to the turf clutching his right knee. His frantic gestures were an indication that he had suffered a serious injury, with Real Madrid team-mates surrounding the player with concern etched across their faces. Medical staff attended to the stricken player, who tried to stand up but could not put any weight on his leg. He crumpled back down to the turf and eventually departed on a stretcher, burying his face in his hands and crying inconsolably.
The fans gave him a thunderous send off.
“It’s quite serious, (and his) knee,” Ancelotti said post-match. The right-back was taken to hospital but confirmed the worst on Sunday, with a cruciate knee ligament injury confirmed and surgery to follow. A lengthy rehabilitation lies ahead.
Real will have to assess whether they enter the market for a free agent as a replacement, wait until January or seek a solution from their existing squad or academy. But options are scarce. Carvajal’s absence is a serious blow.
What next for Real Madrid?
The team will return to action after the international break with a trip to Celta Vigo on Saturday, October 19 (8pm, 3pm ET).
(Top photo: M Gracia Jimenez/Soccrates/Getty Images)
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