Three takeaways as Real Madrid secure the La Liga title
By Ben Sundock
That’s it! It took 11 months, from matchday one in La Liga until matchday 37, for Real Madrid to secure the La Liga title but they now know they are once again the league champions!
Karim Benzema has guided Real Madrid through this bumpy season and he was the one who pushed them over the edge to claim the 34th league title. The number nine’s goals in the 29th minute and from the penalty spot in the 77th minute were enough to help Zizou’s men to the title.
Villarreal had few chances over the course of the first hour, but a couple of good chances late on gave Real Madrid fans a scare that their team would drop points for the first time in 10 matches.
That was not to be as goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois made several brilliant stops to hold the visitors at bay. Here are the three takeaways from the win.
It’s time to shut them down
The league title is secure and nothing can be gained nor lost in the match against CD Leganes on Sunday. This means it is time to shut Thibaut Courtois and Eden Hazard down.
Hazard looked far from himself at the Estadio Alfredo di Stefano tonight and he was noticeably limping on that ankle that has given him trouble all season long. Zidane has done wonderfully to rest him and keep him healthy, but even some matches off did not seem to help.
62 minutes of play still seemed to be too much for the Belgian international tonight and it’s best for everyone he not play in the match Sunday and do his best to get fit and prepare for the Champions League match against Manchester City.
Courtois, on the other hand, should close out a career year with those two clutch saves he made in the final 10 minutes to ensure the win. Coupled with that horrible hit to the head he took from a Villarreal forward – I thought for sure he was knocked unconscious – it’s time for Thibaut to take a break.
These two will have to be perfect in the Etihad Stadium in early August and they simply are not needed against Leganes.