Real Madrid 2 – 1 Valencia: 3 Takeaways from the La Liga Match
By Alex McVey
Real Madrid scored a late goal against Valencia to stay on track in their race for the La Liga title. Alex McVey reviews the match with three takeaways.
Marcelo and Modric were Magisterial.
For the most part, the Madrid squad put in a solid, if not commanding performance against Valencia. Two players in white stood out from the bunch, putting in a shift that Ray Hudson would call simply magisterial: Luka Modrić and Marcelo.
There have been some questions surrounding the usually superlative Luka Modrić of late. A few costly misplaced passes and a seeming inability to perform his usual magic tricks when trying to escape opposition press has lead some to speculate that Modrić might be in decline.
I never thought I'd be ever saying this but lately it's been a routine to say 'Modric is not having a good game either'
— Mehwish (@Mehwish_dr) April 12, 2017
What happened to Modric? Hasn't been so good lately 🙁
— Matt (@Carvalarcon) April 8, 2017
@KiyanSo Is Modric not influencing games like he used to or is it just me? Kroos looks much more involved lately even in offense. Take?
— Varad (@varad297) April 19, 2017
Indeed, Zidane has been questioned by the press about Modrić’s slight dip in form in 2017:
"People saying Modric is playing badly is what worries me,” [Zidane] joked. “Maybe in the last game he gave the ball away a few times, but players cannot always play 90 minutes well, across 50 or 60 games, that is impossible."
Well, if the match against Valencia was any indication, Modrić still has some magical performances left in the tank. Modrić was the midfield metronome, darting in and around pressing Valencia players with ease. Along with completing 92% of his passes, Modrić also managed to make four interceptions (WhoScored). This was vintage Modrić, arriving just in time for Madrid’s march to the end of the season.
The other standout player was Marcelo, who continued to prove why he’s the most important player in Zidane’s full-back dependent system. Marcelo is one of the best dribblers in the squad, and his crossing ability and skills on the ball make him one of the most dangerous attacking full-backs in the world. Marcelo also seems to be improving the defensive side of his game, as we’re beginning to see far fewer lapses where Marcelo is completely caught out due to his adventurous nature up the pitch.
Just when it looked like Madrid was going to see their last remaining bit of cushion in the La Liga title race disappear, Marcelo saved them at the death with a silky-smooth goal following a tricky fake-out that turned the Valencia defense inside-out. While this moment stands out, his whole performance yesterday easily makes him stand out as the Man of the Match.