Real Madrid needed some heroics from long-time right back Dani Carvajal, but they were able to overcome Real Betis at the Benito Villamarin with a 1-0 victory. Los Verdiblancos have given Los Blancos no shortage of trouble over the past three years, so after allowing three goals last weekend in an away draw to Levante, scooping up all three points on LaLiga’s Matchday 3 with a clean sheet meant a whole lot to Madridistas.
Let’s look at five takeaways from Madrid’s narrow victory over Betis, which also featured some serious last-gasp heroics from world-class goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. (I’d be remiss if I did not shout him out.)
Vinicius Junior continues his amazing start
While Vinicius Junior did not add a fourth goal to his tally in his first start of the 2021-2022 LaLiga campaign, the exciting Brazilian winger was just as influential in this match. Real Madrid would not have won without Vini. He was a constant threat to the Real Betis defense, winning a whopping seven dribbles, as per WhoScored.com.
Hard-working as ever, Vinicius popped up all over the pitch. He made several ball recoveries in midfield and was always looking to combine with Karim Benzema and Isco down that left-hand side. Vini played a key role in the goal, providing the pass to Karim’s assist and the ball-carrying on the counter after Miguel Gutierrez’s interception.
It is lovely to see Vinicius in this form, and each passing performance is proof that the young man’s uptick in form is no fluke.
Real Madrid’s defense starting to settle
Coming into this match, there were reasons to be concerned about Real Madrid’s defense. Despite Betis’ recent issues in front of goal, they have attacking firepower with the likes of Sergio Canales and Nabil Fekir as creators. And Real allowed three goals to Levante the previous weekend. Furthermore, Nacho Fernandez would be out injured.
Real Madrid were not quite perfect and needed a brilliant, last-second stop from Thibaut Courtois to keep them ahead, but, well, what else are elite goalkeepers there for?
Overall, Madrid played well defensively. Casemiro made interventions, Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior worked hard to support the players behind them, Fede Valverde filled in gaps, Isco tried his best, and the back four were all solid.
The fullbacks, in particular, were brilliant defensively. Dani Carvajal made up for a few sloppy mistakes in the first half by being flawless in his defensive duties, while Miguel Gutierrez was a serious Man of the Match candidate with a team-high five tackles and two interceptions.
Miguel’s standout display gives him an edge at left back, even when Ferland Mendy returns. He is the total package. David Alaba looked promising at center back, though he will need more games to hit his stride. It’s very possible this back four ends up being Real’s main quartet this season, but Carlo Ancelotti has options when you factor in Nacho and Mendy.
Gareth Bale will have more games like this
After an encouraging first game against Deportivo Alaves and an early goal in the exciting draw with Levante, Gareth Bale took a backseat on Matchday 3 at the Benito Villamarin. He was the worst player on the pitch for Real Madrid, producing his worst performance- preseason or LaLiga campaign – since returning from Tottenham.
I need to be honest in my analysis and say these critical things about Bale, because he was a step too slow and did not offer any sort of threat off the ball. Real Madrid expect a lot from their inverted wingers, and Bale could not meet those expectations.
However, I hope nobody is being reactionary and takes this performance into context. Bale is getting older and isn’t the player he once was athletically due to injuries. He is going to struggle for fitness and drift out of some matches, especially when Real Madrid are in a frenetic match pace-wise.
The good news is that Bale won’t have as many of these matches as you might think. Toni Kroos and Luka Modric were both out, and they are the best in the business at controlling matches. Their returns would mean great things for Bale, as Modric is on the same side to provide that ball-carrying and combination play with Dani Carvajal. Meanwhile, we all know how much forwards benefit from Kroos’ delicious cross-field passes.
Dani Carvajal sends a reminder
There are so many debates about who the best right back in world football is, but if you ask Real Madrid fans, there has not been a debate for years. While they obviously respect their own former player in Achraf Hakimi and have kind words for Trent Alexander-Arnold’s wide playmaking at Liverpool, they know that nobody can match the consistency and big-game performances of the tried-and-true Dani Carvajal.
After changing the game off the bench in his return from injury last weekend, Carvajal made another major impact on the match in the second half by scoring a brilliant first-time winner. It was as if he were Karim Benzema and Benzema were him, lofting in a teasing cross that would be finished in style.
Carvajal scored this goal after a first half that was well below his usual standard. But that’s what Carvajal gives you. The man comes up when you need him, however you need him. He can do so many things at a high level at right back, and it is to the point where it is easy for even Madridistas, who have the utmost admiration for him, to take Carvajal for granted.
It is wonderful to have Carvajal back from injury. He is one of those players who you don’t realize you miss until you do literally miss him in your lineup.
Real Madrid still have work to do, but that’s fine
Real Madrid are in a good position in LaLiga with two wins and a draw. They have scored at least three goals in two games and are now coming off their first clean sheet of the campaign. But at the same time, it’s hard for Madridistas to feel like the team is operating at the level they want to be.
That’s to be expected, of course. Not only are Real Madrid without two of the best midfielders on the planet, but they are notorious slow-starters. Beyond that, they are transitioning to a new defense, a new manager, and a new way of attacking that puts more responsibility on younger players like Vinicius Junior while also attempting to accommodate previously out-of-favor stars like Gareth Bale and Isco.
In this match against Real Betis, Real Madrid kept a clean sheet despite giving up a couple of clear chances, particularly the one at the very end. They also benefited from Betis making some horrible decisions with their passing, as they made atrocious giveaways not long after Real Madrid made their own mistakes in possession without Kroos or Modric.
Betis could not punish Madrid in the way Levante did, and Los Blancos will happily take that. But Ancelotti knows that while the team showed grit, they must continue to work on their consistency in filling gaps, controlling games, and getting their chemistry down. It’s a good thing, though, that Ancelotti is as masterful of a chemist as anyone with a Nobel. He will precipitate the correct product. It just takes a little bit of patience to obtain the best yield possible.