Mariano’s best Real Madrid performance
By Ryan Plant
Earlier this week, Real Madrid confirmed the re-signing of Mariano Diaz from Lyon, a season after he left the club for France. He will provide competition for Karim Benzema after Borja Mayoral moved to Levante on a season-long loan. To celebrate his return to the Spanish capital, let’s look back at his best performance at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Back in the 2016-17 season, Julen Lopetegui’s new number seven was a bit-part player under Zinedine Zidane as Los Blancos completed a La Liga and UEFA Champions League double.
He was promoted to the first team at the beginning of the season after Benzema suffered a back injury – he made his debut, in August 2016, against Celta de Vigo as a substitute, replacing Alvaro Morata.
But, it was in the Copa del Rey that he featured most regularly; he played in all but one of Real’s matches on their way to a quarterfinal defeat to Celta.
In the round of 32, the stage at which La Liga teams enter the tournament, Real was drawn against Cultural Leonesa, who were on their way to promotion from the Segunda Division B.
In the first leg, he scored his first senior goal, heading home Lucas Vazquez’s cross in the last minute of a comfortable 7-1 victory at Estadio Reino de Leon on 26 October 2016.
Cultural traveled from north-western Spain for the second leg on 30 November – Mariano was in scintillating form, scoring a goal after 23 seconds before completing his hat-trick as Zidane’s side won 6-1, 13-2 on aggregate.
His trio of goals showcased exactly what he is capable of – his first came after Marco Asensio won possession high up the pitch, allowing him to set up the Dominican for an easy chance to score before much of the Bernabéu faithful had taken their seats for the game.
After James Rodriguez had fired the home side 2-0 in front, Mariano expertly controlled Dani Carvajal’s cross before volleying past Leandro Montegud on the stroke of half-time.
With less than five minutes remaining, he completed his hat-trick by heading in Alvaro Tejero’s inviting cross.
His display showed his ability to take chances and that he could score all types of goals – attributes that Merengue fans have been crying out for after Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure.
He went on to score his first La Liga goal against Deportivo de La Coruna the following December and was part of the squad that won the 2016 FIFA Club World Cup – he finished the season with five goals in 14 appearances in all competitions.
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Still, on June 30th of last year, he agreed to move to Lyon for €8 million. He scored 18 Ligue 1 goals in 34 appearances and was subject to interest from Sevilla, but Real swooped in to bring him back to the capital.
For now, perhaps, he should expect to play a bit-part role for Real once again after Benzema and Gareth Bale’s positive starts to the season, but he has proven that he will be ready for his chance.