Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick, bagged the match ball as well as most of the plaudits from the media as Real Madrid beat their eternal city rivals Atletico Madrid in a rather comfortable 3-0 victory at the Estadio Vicente Calderon.
The Portuguese forward began the scoring early in the first half with a free-kick that deflected into the goal via Stefan Savic, confusing Jan Oblak in goal. The Slovenian international made a number of full-length saves, but was unable to stop a 71st-minute penalty, nor was he able to do anything about a wonderful Gareth Bale through ball which Cristiano Ronaldo latched on to for his hat-trick.
The rest of the Real Madrid team were no slouches, however, as Real outplayed Atletico in every department and had control of the proceedings from beginning to end. It was a fascinating encounter in which both teams gave their very best, but Real were decidedly superior on the night and thoroughly deserved their 3 points and the 3-0 scoreline at the end.
Here are 5 lessons we learnt from the game.
#5 Isco is a big-game player
In recent games between Atletico and Real, Zidane’s men had always been outnumbered in midfield due to the wonderful enthusiasm shown by Antoine Griezmann and the Atleti midfield. They would close down spaces ahead of Modric and Kroos, making it difficult for any Madrid player to take more than a single touch in the central areas.
In the derby, Zidane’s decision to play Ronaldo and Isco through the middle paid dividends. Isco, who took up his most natural role as a no. 10 for the game, was lively, vibrant and full of ideas. His runs through the centre of the pitch, particularly in the middle third, caused chaos in the Atletico defence lines in a manner that they hadn’t faced this season.
Isco, coming on the back of a crucial equalising goal for Spain against England in the midweek international friendlies, was in full flow. His time on the pitch was a thorough justification of Zidane’s decision to field him, as his enterprise in the attacking half helped Real to create chances which no other player in the Real squad currently could have produced.
Into his 4th season at the Madrid club now, Isco has well and truly found his feet as a big-game player for Real, who would do well to hold on to him in the coming transfer windows.
#4 Atletico Madrid’s defence is beatable
Right from the time Diego Simeone took over the reins at the Vicente Calderon, Atletico have been an extremely tough side to score against. They have been a resolute defensive team under his tenure, with their propensity to harass lone strikers and keep goalscoring chances at a premium for the length of entire games.
On derby day, however, they were not able to exude the same unbeatable aura for any length of time. Real had the momentum from the early stages of the game, and they kept testing Atletico’s defenders all night long with their superior linkup play.
Atletico’s defence was at fault for the first 2 goals conceded – the first goal was deflected off a player in Atletico’s wall, while the second goal was the result of a calamitous tackle from Stefan Savic.
It was one of those rare nights when Simeone’s side have been exposed severely. Only Barcelona have consistently been able to score 2 or more goals past the Rojiblancos, who are now 9 points behind their city rivals and decidedly on the backfoot in the La Liga title race.
#3 Cristiano Ronaldo remains a big-game player
Despite not being in the best of form for much of this season, Cristiano Ronaldo’s career has decidedly taken a facelift under Zinedine Zidane – a much-admired figure in world football, and a manager who commands the respect of all players in his dressing room.
Zidane’s own quality of controlled aggression seems to have rubbed off well on the Portuguese, as he has fought his way back into the goals in the past 2 months despite the occasional bad performance.
Ronaldo has, however, stood up in big games this season – most importantly, against Dortmund in the Champions League, when he scored one and created the second goal for Real in the tough away fixture at Westfalenstadion.
He was visibly up for the derby, the bright lights and the pressure of playing in front of a baying crowd. His celebration for the second goal went viral on social media – a glance into his rather pointed sense of humour.
He grabbed a hat-trick – a penalty, a deflected free-kick and a neat finish from a fast break in the closing stages of the game. His superior fitness levels helped him beat the Atletico defence for pace before putting the ball in the net.
#2 Atletico need to play Saul centrally
For the first Madrid derby in a while, Real Madrid were able to control play in the centre of midfield. Their Serbian midfield pairing of Kovacic and Modric – while not the most intimidating players physically, were able to beat the incessant waves of Atleti’s full-court pressing maneuvres.
Their superior skill levels, as well as greater ability to carry the ball in spaces, coupled with the presence of Isco ahead of them to negotiate defenders in tight spaces helped Real take the initiative in these central areas.
Koke and Gabi were unable to stamp their authority on the match, and most of Atletico’s attacks commenced on the left wing, where Yannick Ferreira-Carrasco was engaged in a fascinating duel with Spanish international Dani Carvajal.
Saul is one of Atletico’s best players in terms of skill, but he could have been of greater use in those areas in comparison to the more circumspect Koke, who relies on his ability to release the ball quickly and is a comparatively limited dribbler. With him operating in the spaces between Real’s midfield and defence lines, Atletico would have had the opportunity to create mismatches in central areas.
#1 Real Madrid are the best team in the world, bar none
Madrid is a team that has not lost a single match this season. They are unbeaten in 12 La Liga games and 4 Champions League fixtures – their last defeat in a competitive match was against Wolfsburg on 7th April this year.
Under Zinedine Zidane, who took charge on 4th January, Real have lost only 2 games out of 45, winning 34 and drawing 9. No team in the world has a better record in this calendar year.
Madrid’s strength in depth was on full display as they went into the game with their third and fourth-choice centrebacks (Varane and Nacho), and without Karim Benzema or Alvaro Morata up front. This is a team which also has the luxury of benching James Rodriguez – a player worth €65 million in the transfer market.
It is, therefore, surprising that Real Madrid are not currently being considered as the world’s best club side by a large section of football fans. Despite their triumph in the Champions League last season, there are football fans who are convinced that they won the tournament due to the luck of the draw, and not by virtue of being the best club.
They have beaten every opponent they have come across in the past year, and it is time that more people gave them their due as the world’s most in-form team today.
