Real Madrid faced the proposition of falling even farther behind their title rivals on Saturday, but they've put together an impressive performance against a very good opponent. Villarreal gave Los Merengues all they could handle, but Carlo Ancelotti's men were solid in a 2-0 win.
Villarreal vs. Real Madrid final score: 3 things from Los Merengues’ 2-0 win
Real Madrid weren’t flashy or dominant, but performed well in a win over Villarreal.
Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno
Villarreal looked just as threatening as Madrid in the early going, but their strikers couldn't quite get the better of the Madrid defenders on the half-chances they created. It took a moment of true brilliance for either team to score, with Luka Modric hitting an absolute stunner in the 32nd minute, beating Sergio Asenjo from 25 yards with perfectly placed strike.
In the immediate minutes after that, the Yellow Submarine looked a bit more panicked, and they didn't defend well on Madrid's second goal. Karim Benzema set it up with a brilliant run down the flank, control, cutback and pass to the top of the box. He drew three defenders, meaning no one was marking Cristiano Ronaldo, who had an easy finish from 12 yards.
The hosts should have been level two minutes after that, but missed out due to some great goalkeeping by Iker Casillas and some lack of awareness by Ikechukwu Uche. Casillas made brilliant back-to-back saves on Manu Trigueros, but couldn't have done anything about Uche's effort on the rebound. Fortunately for Madrid, he was offside, and missed horribly despite knowing nothing about the linesman's flag.
There was considerably less action in the second half, with Madrid doing a good job of taking control of the game. Recognizing that his team could hold out for a clean sheet, Ancelotti made defensive subs, and Los Merengues defended well to close the match.
Villarreal: Asenjo, Paulista, Musacchio, Ruiz, Gaspar, Gomes (Espinoza 61’), Bruno, Trigueros (J. Dos Santos 68’), Cani, Vietto, Uche (G. Dos Santos 65’)
Goals: None.
Real Madrid: Casillas, Marcelo (Nacho 76’), Ramos, Varane, Carvajal, Rodriguez (Illaramendi 74’), Kroos, Modric, Ronaldo, Benzema (Isco 84’), Bale
Goals: Modric (32’), Ronaldo (40’)
3 things
1. Modric’s goal completely changed the game - The game was a dead even one, with Villarreal and Real Madrid looking equally likely to score, until Luka Modric’s 32nd minute stunner. Villarreal were still in the game after that, but they had to push a bit harder, while Madrid didn’t have to play as aggressively. Ultimately, that led to Los Merengues snagging the win.
2. Villarreal are a striker short of a good team - For all their possession, creativity and impressive play around the box, Villarreal don't have someone who can actually make the most of it. Ikechukwu Uche had a solid last season, but it was an outlier for him, and he's come back to earth. They need young Luciano Vietto to grow up quickly, and probably to sign a forward too. If Karim Benzema and Uche switched teams, the Yellow Submarine might have won it.
3. Carlo Ancelotti is still sensible, even if his chairman isn’t - With a 2-0 lead away, Ancelotti brought in Asier Illaramendi for James Rodriguez, Nacho Fernandez for Marcelo and Isco for Benzema. Those are all defensive subs, and sensible ones at that, but Madrid should have even better personnel to change games in that manner. Get the man some real midfielders, Perez.
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