Real Madrid And Karim Benzema Sink Borussia Mönchengladbach To Reach Champions League Last 16

Once again, Real Madrid has responded. On Wednesday, the Spanish club defeated Borussia Mönchengladbach 2-0 with an emphatic performance to reach the last sixteen of the Champions League and alleviate the pressure on coach Zinedine Zidane, but questions will remain after a difficult group stage for the Spanish team.

Sergio Ramos returned to Madrid’s first eleven against the Germans and there was a first start as well this season for the midfield triumvirate of Casemiro, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric, who helped coach Zidane secure three successive Champions League crowns between 2016 and 2018.

Karim Benzema, however, was the star of the evening. The striker has always been overshadowed by some of Florentino Perez’s marquee signings and even in this Real Madrid squad Eden Hazard is supposed to be the chairman’s galactico of choice, but he again proved how dependable he can be for a team that has been struggling attack-wise.

Against Mönchengladbach, the number nine struck with two powerful headers inside the first 31 minutes. From that moment on, Madrid never looked like relinquishing its lead against an opponent that acted out of character. Modric orchestrated the play from midfield, stretching the German backline, and the team of coach Marco Rose never produced the free-flowing soccer that has become its trademark in the Bundesliga. There was not even a fleeting glimpse of what they can do on a strangely muted evening from Borussia Mönchengladbach. 

What Madrid did produce was a cool and composed performance, leaving the lethargic Germans no chance to claw their way back into the game. Even after the break, Madrid remained in the ascendancy. Zidane felt emboldened and handed the 19-year-old Sergio Arribas minutes. 

Madrid’s dominance however flattered to deceive. This season, the Champions League has been a sobering experience for the Spanish champion, demonstrating, often in a painful fashion, that the club’s days of continental hegemony firmly belong to the past. In August, the Spanish crashed out of the 2019/20 Champions League at the hands of Manchester City, and in the new campaign Madrid has played some lamentable soccer. First, there was the shocking 2-3 defeat at home to Shakhtar Donetsk before Madrid struggled to a 2-2 draw away to Borussia Mönchengladbach. The Spanish champion was confronted with a modern and systemic interpretation of the game in Germany.

Last week, Madrid limped to a 2-0 defeat in Ukraine that was perhaps even more scandalous than the first-leg defeat to Donetsk. Time and time again, Madrid was exposed as an ageing and disjoined team, which goes to the heart of one of the problems Zidane faces: his team has always been the sum of its parts, but never something more. The Frenchman has been trying to address that problem by asking his players to press more, but it has been a difficult exercise. Mönchengladbach didn’t pass through Madrid’s press in the early stages of the game and later capitulated, but in other matches Madrid’s press has often been too half-hearted with too much hesitancy in midfield. Donetsk and Valencia were among the teams to exploit it.

“Football has changed from a physical point of view and the intensity is very high nowadays,” said Zidane last month at a news conference. “I am all in favor of that, pressing high up and taking the game to the opposition. We could play deeper too and wait, but that’s not for me.” 

It is a sign that Zidane understands that his team needs to evolve, perhaps shifting away from the pragmatic approach that brought so much success in the past, to thrive again both at home and in Europe. Such an overhaul will require a collective buy-in from his players. Atletico Madrid, Real’s next opponent at the weekend, has shown how far that can get you.

Speak Your Mind

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Get in Touch

350FansLike
100FollowersFollow
281FollowersFollow
150FollowersFollow

Recommend for You

Oh hi there 👋
It’s nice to meet you.

Subscribe and receive our weekly newsletter packed with awesome articles that really matters to you!

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

You might also like

Europe is planning a 25-fold increase in offshore wind...

Offshore wind turbines in waters five kilometers off the coast of Copenhagen, Denmark. The...

The UK plans to ban sales of diesel and...

This photo shows an electric car being charged on a street in London.Miles Willis...

Macy’s may face more temporary store closures as Covid...

People sit as Macys shopping bags are placed on a table at Herald Square...

Apple could achieve $2 trillion market cap in 4...

San Francisco: Riding on its growing services and wearables business, Apple may become the...