Real Madrid 5 Ups and Downs after 3-2 win over Real Betis

They needed a late Panenka penalty from captain Sergio Ramos to seal the deal, but Real Madrid won their first game of the 2020-2021 season on Matchday 3.

Although Real Madrid were, for the most part, the better side in their opener against Real Sociedad, they were unable to find the breakthrough at the Anoeta Stadium in a 0-0 draw. This past Saturday evening at the Benito Villamarin, Los Blancos did not have any trouble creating goal-scoring opportunities, putting three past Los Verdiblancos despite missing a handful of clear-cut chances.

Here are five ups and downs from Madrid’s first win of the 2020-2021 La Liga campaign.

Up: Fede Valverde makes a huge statement for Real Madrid

The Man of the Match in the win over Real Betis was undoubtedly Fede Valverde, who scored the opening goal after some excellent work from striker Karim Benzema. Valverde completed nearly 93 percent of his passes, according to WhoScored.com, and had three interceptions to help out defensively.

He was a menace offensively on that right side, essentially acting as a winger at times. But he also popped up frequently in other areas of the pitch, including keeping the play alive through the middle of the field before scoring that opener.

Valverde was Real Madrid’s breakout star in 2019-2020, often standing out as the game’s best player in hectic rivalry games. His athleticism and energy made the difference against Real Betis in another difficult road game for Los Merengues.