Real Madrid defeat Valencia 2-0 thanks to an own goal and Lucas Vazquez
Second Half
As the whistle blew to commence the second half, Valencia wasted no time to put pressure on Real Madrid. Knowing that Madrid was pressing high, they showed great patience and pounced on the counter-attack.
Some great chances tested the defence of Madrid as well as Thibaut Courtois on a couple of occasions. The goalkeeper even faced a rifle of a shot from Michy Batshuayi leaving a mark on his face. Nonetheless, he came up big for his team as they held on to a one-goal lead.
After weathering the storm of Valencia, Madrid went on a tirade of their own. They had plenty of chances to go up 2-0 but could not capitalize. This will surely be something that Solari will have his men focus on in preparation for the next match.
Real Madrid managed well over 200 passes more than Valencia making it hard for Valencia to get back into the game. Most of the attacks were done on the flanks as players like Dani Carvajal and Reguilon provided plenty of pace.
Solari made use of all three substitutes bringing in Marco Asensio, Federico Valverde, and Isco for Bale, Modric, and Ceballos respectively. Each made a decent impact on the game with Asensio being the closest to scoring. Unfortunately, the Spaniard wasn’t able to bury his chance.
Next. Real Madrid partner with EA Sports for limited edition jerseys. dark
While Benzema was unable to get on the score sheet, he was able to help secure Madrid another goal. Neat play from the attacking line resulted in another goal in the 83-minute, from Lucas Vazquez who has now scored in back to back games. The goal was the perfect cap to Lucas’ night after he put in an incredible 90-minutes.
The second goal wrapped things up for Real Madrid as they closed out the game. Los Blancos return to action against UD Melilla for leg-two of their first fixture in the Copa del Rey this season. The match will be played on December 6 and with a 4-0 lead will be a great opportunity for Solari to play with the rotation once again.