Sunday, March 1st, 2020. It was the last time Real Madrid had played a game in their home ground, the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu. And it was an unforgettable night with the game being an El Clasico which was comfortably won by the Los Blancos, with the final scoreline of 2-0. Vinicius Jr and Mariano Diaz stood up to be the unlucky heroes that night, as the 78,357 fans in the Bernabeu got to witness a determined performance from the royal whites.
But little did the fans knew that it was going to be the last game to be held at the Bernabeu in 2020, and the fans wouldn’t get the opportunity to see their club playing at the historic football ground. No one could’ve predicted that, because the situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic was so sudden that football had to be stopped for a while.
Football in Spain did resume after few months, but fans weren’t allowed into the stadiums, due to which Real Madrid shifted their base to the Castilla stadium, named after one of the biggest club legends in Alfredo Di Stefano, while the Bernabeu underwent a high cost and time-taking makeover. And now, after 18 months, Real Madrid are going to play against Celta Vigo on Sunday, the 12th of September, and football is finally going to return to the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.
Things have changed a lot in these eighteen months. A record-breaking manager has been replaced by another incredible manager who helped Real Madrid win a historic 10th Champions League title. The greatest captain in the history of the club has left Madrid, and his place has been taken over by another long-serving player. The backline isn’t the same, and even the look of the stadium isn’t the same.
Many things have changed, but there are some things that haven’t changed with time, which are the Madridistas’ love for the club, and the never-say-never attitude of the players and the fans. The team is still determined to win every game that comes on their way, and another challenge on the way is going to be the LaLiga game against Celta Vigo on Matchday 4. So let us have a look at the reasons why Real Madrid will win on their return to the Santiago Bernabeu.
Madridistas, the heart and soul of the club, will be back to cheer Real Madrid on
Fans are the backbone of Real Madrid. Not just for Real Madrid, fans are the strength for any football club. And in all fairness, football without fans is a bit boring. Football is incomplete without the cheers, jeers, chants, and waving flags from the stands. The presence of fans is one of the key factors which determine the difference between a home fixture and an away fixture.
Real Madrid didn’t have the support of fans in the 2020/21 season, and this season they have played in front of fans for three games. But each of those games was an away fixture, where Real Madrid were subjected to a lot of jeers from the rival fans. The club did very well to win 7 out of 9 points in hostile environments, but now they will finally get some home support from their fans, with almost 60% of the stadium expected to be filled with fans.
For a fan-owned club with a huge fanbase spread across different parts of the world, this is indeed a special moment and the club will try their best to please the fans with an excellent result, with added motivation from the stands.
We will again get to hear the Hala Madrid y Nada Mas song while the players walk out onto the pitch. We will get to see the stadium announcer shouting the scorer’s name when a goal is scored by Real Madrid. And the fans will counter any time-wasting tactic of the opponents with relentless whistling. Football is well and truly back to the Bernabeu.
Real Madrid’s attack will lead the way
We haven’t seen a lot of the new Real Madrid this season to completely judge Carlo Ancelotti’s tactics. So far we got to see only two pre-season games and three LaLiga games, with a handful of regular starters out on the sidelines. It would be too early to claim this team as a unit that can win a treble, but the initial signs have been very positive.
One can easily observe that this Real Madrid isn’t more concerned about holding on to the ball. Instead, they’re more focused on winning the ball real quick and launching lightning-quick counter-attacks. There’s a visible reduction in the horizontal passing, with verticality regaining its lost prominence. Even while in possession, there’s a visible shift in the ideology with the ball being passed around real quick, and there’s a feeling that the team is open to the idea of overcommitting in the attack.
A lot can be inferred from Carlo Ancelotti’s expression and comments after every match as well, with the Italian demanding a lot of discipline and effort from players. He’s making sure every player gives his hundred percent on the field, both with and without the ball, with Vinicius’ performances proving to be a prime example of the change that Carlo Ancelotti is trying to bring.
There are a lot of risks associated with these tactics, as the team might be prone to quick counterattacks from the opponents. But there’s a feeling that this team might have the ability to outscore an opponent. Sometimes the football played by the team might be breathtaking, but it has managed to yield results.
And this is a brand of football that is heavily appreciated by the fans of the Bernabeu. And so far this brand of football has been somewhat successful in achieving the results that are demanded. We can have the debate about the team’s fragile defence, but we can save it for another day and instead stress more on the attacking approach, which might be highly entertaining. And this beautiful football is something that was promised by Ancelotti on the day of his presentation.
With Celta Vigo being a team that is built more on its attacking prowess with players like Iago Aspas, Brais Mendez, and Santi Mina in their ranks, they are prone to quick attacks as well. They conceded 57 goals in the 2020/21 season, which is the joint-third highest number in that category, and they didn’t have a great start to the season. So we can expect an attacking galore from Real Madrid, who will look to exploit the weaknesses of Celta and get the three points.
Some key players might make it in time for the special game
People often say that the games between which the international break is sandwiched, are very important for the team. While winning the last game before the break begins ensures that the squad goes into the break with high spirits, the first game after the completion of the international break is expected to be won so that the rhythm of the team is not really disturbed by the break. Real Madrid has won the game against Real Betis, and now they will try to win against Celta Vigo and try to pick it up from where they left before the break.
Of course, there’s the tension of injuries being picked up in international breaks, due to which Real Madrid has suffered a lot in the past. This time they would hope to avoid such a scenario, but they’re already at loss with the Brazilian trio of Casemiro, Vinicius Jr, and Eder Militao scheduled to play for Brazil on Friday, while the club’s game will be played on Sunday, which means these key players won’t have a lot of time to recover.
And as I mentioned previously, Real Madrid did miss key players like Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, Nacho, Ferland Mendy, and captain Marcelo. But Carlo Ancelotti will be happy to see at most three of them returning to action after the break, with Nacho, Modric and Marcelo said to be available for the key series of fixtures following the international break, as per AS.
Great performances of players like Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema, David Alaba, and Eden Hazard means the team will have a set of in-form players, who will be ready to hit the ground running after the break. And above all, the club and the fans would be all set to welcome the teenage sensation and the club’s latest signing, Eduardo Camavinga, whose presentation will be held on 8th September with the player expected to make it to the matchday squad on Sunday.