Julen Lopetegui’s team crashed into the Russian wall three months and a day after the World Cup Team did it on the same stage
Real Madrid linked their third consecutive game without a win after falling 1-0 in Russia to CSKA Moscow. The early goal of Nikola Vlasic was enough for Julen Lopetegui’s team to give away for the first time in the Champions League this year. Fifth game this season of the whites away from home and have only won one of them.
Lopetegui, with Isco, Bale and Marcelo injured, decided to leave Sergio Ramos in Madrid and Luka Modric on the bench. Between these and the initial error of Kroos, Madrid began losing in Moscow.
The German tried to give back to Varane but he did badly and the Croatian Nikola Vlasic took advantage of it to dribble Varane and beat Keylor Navas. Unbeatable start for the Russians and very difficult to get worse for the Real Madrid team.
Madrid accused the goal and it took a long time to realize that the game had started and that his rival already took advantage of the score. It was Casemiro who woke the whites in the 26th minute taking advantage of the passivity of the Russian back and sending his shot from the front to the post.
It was then when Real Madrid became master and master of the game, although without fanfare, because although he attacked he could not put Akinfeev in serious trouble. The best of the whites in the first half came after a sensational Reguilón center that Benzema, at the far post, sent to the crossbar after a great header.
Julen Lopetegui, desperate during the match / YURI KOCHETKOV (EFE)
In those, Carvajal had to withdraw from the field with discomfort in the twin of the left leg and Lopetegui, far from risking, put on the field to Alvaro Odriozola. And with that came the rest, with the feeling that Madrid needed to risk a little more if they did not want to link their third game without winning.
Maybe that’s why, ten minutes into the second half and with only a distant attempt from Asensio, Lopetegui decided to risk and exhaust his changes: Modric and Mariano to the field, Casemiro and Lucas to the bench.
But neither the clairvoyance of the Croatian nor the nose of the Dominican were able to resolve the ballot. The Madrid attacked again and again but again and again they crashed with the Russian wall. A film that was already lived three months ago in the Spain – Russia World Cup.
Only Mariano, head, coming from behind and in 88, was about to tie the game with a sensational testarazo … but it was not the night of Madrid: the ball crashed into the wood.
The white team tried until the end but could not and ended up losing. Of course, with Akinfeev expelled in the discount for protesting. Something that did not help, because the match ended instantly. New slip of Real Madrid.