Statistics say that whoever wins all six games in their group never wins the Champions League at the end of the season. And it seemed, at times, that Real Madrid knew this cabal because for more than seventy minutes they searched for victory without effort. But in Germany, land of panzers in which he had already played in previous seasons, Joselu insisted on winning the game by scoring two goals which served to overcome the Berliners’ initial goal. A victory that baptizes the striker, who has already scored eight goals this season, three of them in the Champions League, as many as Rodrygo and one less than Bellingham.
Real Madrid corresponds to the Champions in this idyll that the whites live with the most aristocratic football competition on the Old Continent. That is why it is explained the appearance in the eleven in Berlin of Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo, its two most unbalanced players, in a match without any sporting significance for those from Chamartín, classified as leaders since last day.
Ancelotti warned: “It is a special competition and we have to respect it with a good game. Our professionalism is at stake.” And he brought out an eleven with a starting flavor and six Spaniards in the eleven. Something that had not happened since May 2019. Kepa started in goal, who avoided a called goal from Behrens a minute later, and a minute later he was compromised again. It took ten minutes for Madrid to connect with two sharp appearances from Bellingham, who enjoyed the walls in the interior corridors where he had fun with Rodrygo, Ceballos and Modric. But after a quarter of an hour the more vertical side of the whites emerged, with Joselu nailing a header off the crossbar from Fran García’s cross. Two different ways to attack.
From 0-1 to 1-0
Madrid hypnotized Bjeliça’s Unión Berlin in a continuous round, but without finishing the plays. The whites were able to go ahead with a chance from Joselu and, especially, with a penalty missed by Modric in the 43rd minute after a hand as obvious as it was innocent. The Croatian missed it, maintaining the full number of wasted penalties this season by Ancelotti’s men: Rodrygo (Celta), Joselu (Osasuna) and Modric (Unión Berlin). Madrid was ruminating on the mistake when in the next play a long throw-in by the German goalkeeper Nacho already Praises and Volland took advantage of it to overtake the Berliners. At rest, below.
Carletto put two more gears, placing Kroos in the pivot, which the team appreciated. Although the first skirmishes were in the Kepa area, very poorly garrisoned in Berlin by some ill-advised Alaba and Fran García. In attack the only interesting thing happened when it happened through the boots of Bellingahm and Rodrygo, but Ronnow, the German goalkeeper, aborted each Madrid attack. Opportunities were dripping from the white side, but this Madrid 2023-24 does not have the punch of other seasons no matter how much it embraces a Bellingham in a state of grace.
Joselu double
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Ancelotti ordered Rodrygo to lie down on the right of the attack, taking advantage of the defensive facilities provided by the German left-back, Rousillon. That’s where the tying goal came. A cross from the Brazilian that Joselu headed into the net, of course, while he fought with the center back to win the position. The whites equalized with more than half an hour ahead and good expectations. The dilemma was whether he should keep his stars on the field, tired and accumulating many minutes, or give the alternative to the girls who populated the bench.
While the technician was struggling, Joselu scored the second with another header to overtake the whites that seemed to seal the sixth victory. Where white silk football did not reach, the profession of the striker appeared. And then the whites fell asleep and a kick from Kral tied the score. Madrid was left without a full team, so it could win the Champions League… But Ceballos appeared in the 88th minute to cross a right-footed shot into the back of the Teutonic goal net.. Full white in this Champions League, so now they will have to challenge the cabal and some second in the group like Copenhagen, PSV or Inter.