Three takeaways from Real Madrid’s Copa del Rey round of 32 victory
By Ben Sundock
No, it wasn’t a pretty match or one Real Madrid fans will want to remember, but a win is a win and Zinedine Zidane now has his men in the Copa del Rey round of 16. Here are three takeaways from Real’s 3-1 win over Unionistas de Salamanca.
On a cold night in western Spain at a venue that holds a mere 3,000 spectators, Real Madrid was tested by a lower league team and survived to tell the tale.
While the focus was spotty from a heavily rotated starting XI, Los Blancos advanced to the next round of the Spanish knockout tournament on a night that saw FC Barcelona trailing to second league UD Ibiza at halftime.
So, while a 3-1 scoreline might not be as gaudy as many would’ve expected or liked, Zizou should be proud of his side’s character and resilience.
Brahim makes a statement, but it is too little too late?
Although he should’ve been credited with two goals, Brahim Diaz will happily take a goal and a few good involvements on the attacking end tonight as a job well done. Coming on as the first substitute for Gareth Bale before the hour mark, the number 21 was involved on what seemed like every run into the Unionistas box.
Linking up nicely with James Rodriguez, Luka Jovic, and even Vinicius Junior on the opposite flank, Brahim gave his manager something to think about before the January transfer window closes,
Both Brahim Diaz and Mariano Diaz have been on the equivalent of the “trading block” for several months now and many football pundits expect both to leave before the calendar rolls over to February.
While I think that argument is justified in the case of Mariano, Brahim has shown that he can play a role if he gets the necessary minutes.
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His runs down the right wing and his ability to outrun defenders is what originally tempted Real Madrid into signing him from Manchester City. Just look at his goal in stoppage time as proof of that.
He is rather far down the pecking order in terms of right wingers, so, I do think a loan move is in the cards before this month’s transfer window closes. Why just a loan you might ask?
I think selling him would be a huge mistake and one that could come back to haunt Real.