Beijing time last night (23rd), the 22nd round of La Liga, Real Madrid once again faced Elche, who had played in the Copa del Rey a few days ago. In that cup match, Real Madrid did not win with Isco and Hazard until extra time, and this time in the league, Elche snatched a point from Real Madrid.
Encountered the same pit in succession, and almost overturned the car twice in the same pit. Real Madrid drew 2-2 with Elche thanks to Militão's last-minute header. The two teams had just met in the Copa del Rey a few days earlier, and they fought all the way to extra time to decide the winner. Real Madrid can win the game with the power of substitutes Isco and Hazard, but they have been wary of Elche's combat effectiveness, how can they play so hard, and can only barely score 1 point at home?
It is true that Elche has two major dragon slaying artifacts: goalkeeper Badia and striker Lucas Boyer. The former made no less than four game-changing saves in the first half. One of the highlights was that near the break, he flew in to save a direct free kick from Kroos' main penalty. The German's shot arc and angle are perfect, and if hung up in a dead corner, it will be an undisputed world wave. But Badia judged accurately, leaping high enough to save the ball steadily. You should know that he is only 1.80 meters tall, known for his dexterity and agility, but he can save this angle like The 2-meter-tall Courtois on the opposite side. In the blink of an eye, he slammed Casemiro's frontal shot to the ground. The Brazilian looked surprised to know that this encounter was hard.
Colombian striker Lucas Boyer has been watched by a wide range of fans as he has previously appeared on Barca's signing list. In this game, he also used his strength to prove that it is no accident that he really enters the big club queue one day. In the 43rd minute, Feder's cross from the left side of the line was met by Boyer, who jumped up to the top and broke the goal. Alaba, who was defending him, was obviously a step slower. In the 76th minute, Boyer suddenly turned around with the ball, changed direction and broke through the ball after swinging through the two-man defense, and Pere Miria shot low at an angle to the next city. At this time, the 2-goal lead feels that Elche has sentenced Real Madrid to a "death sentence" this time.
Real Madrid also had a chance before. In the first half, Elche right-back Palacios brought down Vinicius in the penalty area and referee de Bourgos blew a penalty. But Benzema unexpectedly fired the penalty at the anti-aircraft gun. In the 53rd minute, Hazard fell in the middle of the opposing defense. De Burgos was reconsidered by VAR and cancelled penalties. In the 86th minute, De Burgos came to the VAR monitor for the third time, this time awarding Real Madrid a penalty due to elche player Berdyer's arm touching the ball. This time the penalty shootout was replaced by Modric. The Croatian scored the ball steadily and gave Real Madrid the confidence to create a miracle again.
In the Copa del Rey, Elche was visibly weak, many counter-attack opportunities were wasted, and the defensive line was unable to concentrate. This time the same situation reappears. Real Madrid's substitutions of Jovic, Valverde, Rodrigo and Isco quickly overwhelmed each other's last bit of physical fitness. Elche's two strong full-backs could no longer block Real Madrid's deep crosses and had to leave the most dangerous tasks to the centre-back and goalkeeper. In the 92nd minute, Vinicius' high-arc cross, Militang and Jovic jumped high and the Brazilian grabbed the point to score the ball. While Both Alaba and Militan are shaking their heads, their contribution on the offensive end at key moments is enough to make up for it.
Although the game was difficult to win a draw, and did not let Sevilla, who were also tied, catch up closer, the process was not ideal. Both Vinicius and Benzema showed fatigue and were still technically superior, but the excitement could not be maintained from start to finish. Hazard won the start with a deadly shot in the Copa del Rey, but remained uneventful in the right wing. When no one in the team's front line has a foothold or opens a gap, Real Madrid's game is difficult to play. Without significant reinforcements in the winter window, Ancelotti's biggest problem remains the balance between rotation, combat effectiveness and fatigue injuries.
For the several controversial penalties that appeared in this game, peres Brewer, an expert on the field, explained: "Hazard did collide on the knee before he fell to the ground, but there was not enough contact. It is right not to award a penalty. Berdu's handball, which occurs when he is facing the ball across his back, is typical of unintentional collisions. Some of the penalties were too harsh. ”
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