Real Madrid: 5 burning questions from a 2-1 win over Elche
Can we give Mariano Diaz some respect?
Mariano Diaz made some comical mistakes against Elche. Let’s get that out of the way first. If you were a neutral and tuned in on Saturday to watch a striker trip over himself and pass up on the opportunity for a clear assist in order to take on a terrible shot from long range, then you got exactly what you wanted.
The man is frustrating at times and seems to operate in his own universe. But Madridistas can’t be mad at his performance against Elche, because they would not have won without him.
After all, Mariano had an ingenious backheel flick to Vinicius Junior that created the opening goal. His flick left Elche’s defense for dead. It was a rare moment of quality from Mariano, who usually produces goals through sheer determination, like in a 2020 Clasico.
Speaking of determination, the main reason for the respect to Mariano goes beyond the assist. Every time there was a ball into the box, Mariano was putting his body on the line to get his head onto it. You could see how much it meant to him to fight for every ball in the air and to try and score for the team.
Next. The 5 players Real Madrid should have never sold. dark
Mariano is obviously not good enough for Real Madrid. There is no need to pretend he is. But contrary to what some fans will say, he is not some lazy player stealing a paycheck. He legitimately wants to play, to score, and to win. He isn’t good enough to score frequently or to inspire confidence. However, he is good enough to help the team in an emergency situation, such as this match, and he won’t give you less than his best. Maybe his best isn’t good enough for Real’s high standards in many matches, but it was sufficient in this difficult win over Elche. He should have some respect from Madridistas for this effort.