Real Madrid vs. Borussia Monchengladbach: 3 takeaways from a dominant win
Lucas Vazquez deserves our full gratitude
Right back is clearly not Lucas Vazquez’s natural position, but he has carried himself with aplomb at the position by making up for his lack of training with no shortage of effort. Vazquez runs and runs and runs defensively, never wanting to look the weak link in a star-studded XI. Dani Carvajal is missed whenever he does not start, but, on this night, Real Madrid did not feel the absence of the all-world fullback.
Vazquez was marvelous, just as he was in another big match this season at the Camp Nou when Real Madrid won 3-1. In this match against Borussia Monchengladbach, Vazquez created the opening goal with a wonderful lofted cross. His five key passes show how crucial his crossing was to Real’s chance-creation vs. Gladbach, and his 93 passes, which tied Toni Kroos for highest on the team, show just how important he was to the overall build-up play.
Kroos and Luka Modric dominated the midfield, but, together, Modric, Vazquez, and Rodrygo Goes made the right-hand side Real Madrid’s for the duration of the match. Oscar Wendt was powerless against these three players, who created copious chances for the team.
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Vazquez looked like a star. His crossing was pinpoint, his intensity was off the charts, and his fouls were smart and helped Real Madrid avoid any surprises in transition. There were a lot of standout performances at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano on Wednesday night, and Vazquez’s should not get lost among them.