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Score: Real Madrid 2-1 Leganes
Goalscorers: Gareth Bale 8', Borja Mayoral 45+1'; Darko Brasanac 66'
Real Madrid managed a slender 2-1 win over Leganes in a hard-fought derby at the Santiago Bernabeu. Playing with a second string side, Real Madrid made the most of their chances and raced to a 2-0 lead at the break. Gareth Bale and Borja Mayoral scored for the home side.
Leganes gave it their all in this one and if it was not for their profligacy in front of the goal, they could have left the Bernabeu with at least a point. Darko Brasanac pulled one back for the visitors in the 66th minute. But Real Madrid held on and with this victory, they are just one point behind second-placed Atletico Madrid.
So without further ado, let's analyze Real Madrid's 2-1 win over Leganes in further detail and dissect the key talking points that emerged from the game:
#5 Zinedine Zidane rests his core set of players
As expected, Real Madrid entered the field with a reserve side as manager Zinedine Zidane made 10 changes to the side that beat Bayern Munich. Kiko Casilla was given the nod ahead of Keylor Navas whereas Casemiro was the only player that started yesterday and on Wednesday.
Casemiro played alongside Jesus Vallejo at centre back with Hakim Achrafi and Theo Hernandez being given the fullback duties. The trio of Kovacic, Ceballos and Llorente played in midfield while Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Borja Mayoral played as the front three.
Zidane would be ecstatic that his fringe players got his side over the line and most importantly, kept his impact players fresh for the second leg. The likes of Sergio Ramos, Marcelo, Luka Modric and Cristiano Ronaldo can now be expected to fire on all cylinders against the Bavarians in the second leg.
#4 Leganes rue their missed chances in the first half
It was Real Madrid who started the game on a positive note and dominated the first 20 minutes of the game. But Leganes soon found their stride and were beginning to knock on Madrid's goal.
It can be said that Leganes were the better team for the rest of the first half, creating chances one after the other. But the away side lacked a little bit of luck on the night to trouble Los Blancos. Guerrero missed a simple header at the half-hour mark, mistiming his jump and not connecting the header with precision.
Former Watford winger Nordin Amrabat then hit the crossbar with a toe-poked shot from the edge of the area. The shot had beaten Casilla fair and square but could not manage to squeeze in the back of the net. There were also a couple of half chances that could have gone Leganes' way with a little bit of composure in the final third.
But as luck would have it, it was Real Madrid who scored the second goal of the match in first-half stoppage time against the run of the play. It turned out to be a huge blow for Leganes who had worked extremely hard to score an equalizer.
#3 Casemiro impresses in a surprising new role
The Brazilian has made his name at Real Madrid with his exploits at the holding midfielder's position. But against Leganes, Zidane opted to play Casemiro at centre back alongside Jesus Vallejo. With Ramos and Varane rested, the manager tried something new on the night.
And the experiment did not backfire as Casemiro showed his usual intensity to stop the opponents from getting past him. He was strong and resolute in his defensive and timed his tackles to perfection. Casemiro won 100% of his tackles and also made 6 clearances.
Though his positioning for the Leganes goal was unsatisfactory, Casemiro did do a fine job in a new role. And with the ongoing injury worries that surround Real Madrid, Casemiro has given Zinedine Zidane a good option in defence if the need arises.
#2 Late, late drama in the match
After reducing the deficit in the 66th minute, Leganes threw the kitchen sink at Real Madrid. The away side did everything in their might to score the equalizer late in the game. And at the end of regulation time, two minutes were added as stoppage time.
The final chance of the match fell to Leganes captain Gabriel who received a pass some 25 yards away from goal and was in the motion to take a shot. But the referee did not allow Gabriel to take a shot and stopped the play with his whistle. It was one of the most abrupt ends you would ever see in a football game!
Leganes players lost it and were seen arguing vociferously with the referee Ignacio Iglesias. Gabriel said something unpleasant towards the referee and was sent off after the final whistle. The captain had every right to lose his cool as he was denied a clear-cut chance to have a go at Real Madrid.
Technically, the referee was right to stop the play as the clock had gone past the stipulated two minutes. But if he had used some game sense (and common sense, if you may), Gabriel would and should have been allowed to take the shot.
#1 Gareth Bale impresses but will he start on Tuesday?
With Isco out injured and Lucas Vazquez predicted to play at right back, the game against Leganes was a huge chance for Gareth Bale to impress the boss in order to start the big game on Tuesday night. He did impress on the night, scoring the first goal of the match with a close-range acrobatic finish.
That goal took Bale's tally to 15 goals this season. He has scored 15 or more goals in four of his five seasons at the club. Bale was incisive with his passing and could be said as their most influential player in the first half. He dropped deep at times to get involved and caused problems for the Leganes defence.
But Zinedine Zidane has not trusted Bale in the big European games this season and has gone with the underperforming Karim Benzema. On current form, Bale warrants a place in the starting eleven ahead of Benzema with the Welshman scoring nine goals in his last 16 league outings - Benzema has 3 in the same period.
Sadly for Bale, Zinedine Zidane made his choice clear when he took Karim Benzema off in the 62nd minute and replaced him with Marco Asensio. Benzema was probably rested for the final half hour against Leganes to keep him ready for the Bayern Munich clash.
