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Madrid started an era without Christiano Ronaldo in La Liga on Sunday night at the Santiago Bernabeu for the first time since the Portuguese’s big money move to Italy. They started on a front foot against Getafe in La Liga after been beaten 2-4 in the UEFA Super Cup against city rivals Atletico Madrid on Wednesday.
The European champions field a strong squad out especially the front three which consisted of Bale, Benzema, and Asensio.
The absence of the current Balon d'Or winner had an immediate negative impact on fans’ attendance, as Madrid recorded their lowest fans attendance in 10 years with just 48,466 fans showing up for the first game of the season. Apart from that, we can say that the team really got off to a good start without the superstar.
Here are 3 major reasons why Ronaldo’s departure won’t really destabilize Madrid’s Liga campaign.
1. No replacement really needed for Ronaldo
Though no specific replacement was made for the departed superstar during the transfer market, Bale was the man tasked by Coach Julen Lopetegui to fill the hot boots of Ronaldo on Sunday night at the Santiago Bernabeu. The former Tottenham man did a superb job, assisting Madrid’s opener and scoring one himself.
Bale was undoubtedly the best player on the pitch, marauding the entire pitch, from left flanks, right, middle and did some decent defense duties. His effectiveness on Sunday night really suggested that Ronaldo would not be missed at all at Madrid. If only he can stay clear off injuries, Ronaldo won’t be missed at Madrid.
2. More freedom for the attackers
It was his (Bale) freedom to roam the pitch that put him in the right place to slam in Madrid’s second of the night which inevitably killed the game out of Getafe’s reach.
Asensio was seeing moving freely too. With Benzema dropping deeper in midfield sometimes let Gareth Bale or Marco Asensio drift into central attacking roles which gave Madrid more options up front. With Ronaldo in the shows, those kinds of movements were specially reserved for him.
3. Team Spirit
The Madrid’s team spirit was different in the game against Getafe. It’s not clear if that was due to the fact that it was their first match of the season, but arguably it was due to Ronaldo’s absence. The team played together, everyone trying so hard to make up for the Portuguese’s absence.
No doubt, Madrid won't feel the same without the prolific attacker, but the team won't be toothless as evident in the match against Getafe at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday night.
