Real Madrid thumped Deportivo La Coruna 0-2 at the Riazor Stadium on the final day of La Liga but narrowly missed out on Spanish glory as Barcelona made no mistakes against Granada, clinching their 24th La Liga title.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice early on in the game to give his side a comfortable lead. Even though the scoreline said otherwise, the game was never beyond Deportivo’s reach, with the hosts looking lively from the very first minute.
Madrid sat second in the table, just a point adrift of their Catalan rivals. The silverware was virtually sealed for Barcelona, but a victorious Los Blancos could have caused a major upset if Barca had fell short of three points at Granada. On the other hand, Deportivo had nothing much to play for.
Here are five talking points from the game.
#1 Despite heroics, Ronaldo loses out on the Pichichi Award
Cristiano Ronaldo capped off yet another good season with a fantastic final day performance. The Portuguese found the back of the net twice, which helped his side win their 12th consecutive league game.
Ronaldo took his tally to 35 league goals for the season, just behind Barcelona’s number 9 Luis Suarez who bettered the Portugal skipper with 40 strikes of his own.
Ronaldo was brought off right after the break for James Rodriguez. The prolific forward has played an influential role in Los Blancos’ journey to the Champions League final and there is no doubt that the Portuguese will be indispensable for the La Liga runner-ups in the Champions League final.
#2 Deportivo unable to capitalize on opportunities
After a 0-2 away win at Villarreal, Victor Sanchez’s men were looking to finish off Real Madrid’s bleak chances of winning the league title. Even though the Branquiazuis had nothing to play for, it was quite clear from the very start that they weren’t going to give up without a fight.
An early strike and a controversial header resulted in Deportivo conceding two early goals in the first half. But the defense found it difficult to deal with the might of Madrid’s attacking trio of Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ronaldo beat the offside trap with ease to hit the post. The Portuguese also hit the crossbar from distance before he was brought off.
With Madrid losing momentum in the second half, The Galician side came close to scoring on a few occasions. Deportivo looked to hit real Madrid on the break each time they lost possession.
But Victor Sanchez’s men missed chances and failed to capitalize on opportunities. They also went lax defensively, forcing their veteran keeper Stipe Pletikosa to bail them out several times.
#3 BBC are all set for Milan
With less than a month left for the Champions League final, Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo, who constitute Madrid’s attacking triad, have found their form at the best possible time. Real Madrid are set to face local rivals Atletico Madrid in the epic showdown.
Ronaldo’s first strike against Deportivo was a classic BBC goal. The three linked up so well, it almost seemed unintentional. Bale sped past two of Deportivo’s men on the left flank and squared the ball into the box.
Then Benzema positioned himself extremely well to get onto Bale’s pass, and instead of going for the goal himself, he passed the ball to an unmarked Ronaldo, who made no mistakes in slotting the ball past a helpless Pletikosa.
Ronaldo was rested right after the break to avoid any risk of injuries. With the Portuguese gone, Bale and Benzema remained active. With the Champions League in mind, even Bale was brought off after 75 minutes. Benzema channeled the flow of the game quite well in the final third.
#4 Pepe proves his worth yet again
Pepe put up another solid performance at the heart of Real Madrid’s defense alongside skipper Sergio Ramos to keep Deportivo’s front-men silent. The Portuguese has had a season full of ups and down but it looks like he is going to end the footballing year on a good note.
Earlier this season, sacked coach Rafa Benitez told Pepe that he wasn’t needed at the club, isolating him from first team action for a long period. There were times when the centre-back didn’t even feature on the bench. But since the appointment of Zinedine Zidane, Pepe has been starting regularly again.
Performances like the one against Deportivo show precisely why the Portugal international can be trusted. Pepe kept the defense well regimented and was a sentinel at the back. He was well aware and alert throughout the 90 minutes and did his job well by containing Deportivo’s top scorer Lucas Perez.
It is quite evident that Pepe’s contribution will prove invaluable against Atletico Madrid in Milan later this month.
#5 Madrid’s season turnaround
Towards the end of sacked manager Rafa Benitez’s spell at Madrid, Madridistas would have given anything just to see their team back in contention for the league title, let alone the Champions League.
Real Madrid were humiliated at home by arch rivals Barcelona and the situation looked even grimmer as the team struggled to perform in the league.
Appointment of club legend Zinedine Zidane as the first team manager certainly came as a breath of fresh air. He firmly put his plans into action, but unlike Benitez, he gave players their freedom.
The former Galactico stabilized the situation as he tried to get the side back to winning ways.
League leaders Barcelona’s slump in form saw Madrid make the most out of the opportunity as they brought themselves back into the title race. With a runners-up position in the league and a Champions League final, club President Florentino Perez will surely be satisfied with the way his team has finished off the season under Zizou.
With twelve consecutive victories towards the end of the domestic league, Los Blancos look ready to give their best in Europe’s elite competition’s grand finale.
