Real Madrid 3 – 0 APOEL FC – Quick Take Reaction
By Alex McVey
Real Madrid defeated APOEL FC by 3-0 at home in their Champions League opener. Here’s Alex McVey with your quick take reaction to the match.
It was a really ugly first half, punctuated by a few moments of brilliance. Real Madrid’s players spent a good chunk of the first half on the ground. APOEL were really trying to get in Madrid’s face with aggressive, physical play. But Madrid were not to be denied, and Gareth Bale found Ronaldo with a pinpoint cross that the Dark Invader slotted home for Madrid’s first.
The Bale to Ronaldo connection seemed the most likely to produce more goals throughout the first half. Isco did some excellent work distributing the ball to his two forward attackers, and Bale’s sharp movement and accurate crossing was on display.
The worst moment of the first half came when Mateo Kovacic came down with injury. Kovacic looked absolutely devastated when he was forced to limp off the pitch. Toni Kroos replaced him and slotted in nicely, immediately contributing to the team’s buildup and pressing schemes.
The second half saw a reinvigorated Real Madrid, and the gulf in class between the two sides became evident. Ronaldo started fiercely, connecting on the end of a Dani Carvajal cross, but was denied a goal by the goal-line technology which ruled that the ball bounced on the line rather than over it. Ronaldo was angry, and, well…You know what Ronaldo does when he gets angry.
Gareth Bale sent a bouncing cross into the box from the left hand side, where an APOEL player stuck out a shoulder to clear the ball. The referee ruled that it was a handball, and sent Ronaldo to the spot where he would not be denied for Madrid’s second goal.
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The second half also saw what I think we should just call the “Sergio Ramos double” – a stupid yellow card and a goal. Marcelo launched a cross into the area which found Gareth Bale’s head. The header was blocked, but only out to an onrushing Sergio Ramos who bicycle kicked the ball into the back of the net. It was a truly beautiful, random, strange goal, and just continues to add to the mystique of Sergio Ramos.
Shoutout to Gareth Bale who hopefully silenced some critics tonight. Bale was one of Madrid’s most influential offensive players, and played a significant part in the three Real Madrid goals scored while he was on the pitch. It’s true that he didn’t get to score a goal, but his fingerprints were all over Madrid’s attacking play tonight.
Dani Ceballos also got to make his Champions League debut, coming on for Isco in the 72nd minute. He looked sharp in his limited minutes.
Real Madrid appear to have put their rough patch of home form behind them, at least for now. It wasn’t 90 minutes of Champagne Football by any stretch of the imagination, but it was a decisive victory nonetheless.
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