Actual Madrid put Actual Sociedad away 4-1 of their first match on the Bernabeu this season. A hat-trick from Kylian Mbappe, together with a objective from Vinicius Junior, made positive that Jose Mourinho’s return to the stadium was not spoiled.
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Dean Huijsen and the artwork of finishing boring passes
This isn’t meant to be a diss.
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Considered one of Dean Huijsen’s largest criticisms from final season was his tendency to all the time discover a spectacular move. He was all the time diabolically vertical together with his passes, no matter whether or not they made any sense. He appeared to all the time be optimistic together with his actions — generally too optimistic, and that harm Actual Madrid on many events.
Issues could be going nicely, and the group could be able the place they wanted to maintain the ball. As an alternative of enjoying the simple move, Huijsen would all the time attempt to discover an attacker who was by no means anticipating a move within the first place.
In opposition to Actual Sociedad, and in addition in opposition to Espanyol, issues appeared extra ‘boring’ and normal and fewer chaotic with Huijsen. The Spanish Worldwide had a 96% move completion fee on 72 makes an attempt, as he performed plenty of sideways passes to Bernardo Silva, Marc Cucurella and Ibrahima Konate.
He progressed the ball when it felt proper and mandatory, but additionally understood the significance of protecting the ball and having management of the sport. There have been a few pointless by means of balls right here and there, however issues usually appeared good, and it is a model of Huijsen that Actual Madrid can positively use in video games the place they might wrestle to maintain possession. A constant, ball-playing centre-back like Huijsen lifts this group’s ceiling.
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Off-ball actions and one-touch passes
Actual Madrid have struggled to get inventive in video games the place they face a low block at many factors over the previous few years, and never plenty of it has to do with the standard on the pitch. Even when it’s Actual Madrid’s greatest XI enjoying on the Bernabeu, the low block has given them a great deal of issues.
In opposition to Actual Sociedad, at any time when the away aspect shifted to a low block to defend — which didn’t occur on a regular basis — Los Blancos had been in a position to get inventive. The second half noticed plenty of strain from the house aspect, which pressured La Actual to sit down again and take in strain. Even at some factors through the first half, it appeared like Actual Madrid would wrestle to have many clear sights on objective, however their motion was significantly better than earlier than. There have been a great deal of entries into the field from the attackers, and at factors, the midfielders as nicely. They occupied so many positions within the field that there have been many gamers to put the ball off to. That led to some sensible one-touch strikes and pass-and-go’s — one in every of which resulted in a objective for Mbappe.
Even in the event you disregard the objective, there have been some spectacular passes and actions in and across the field which, coupled with persistence and ball retention, made it comparatively simple for the group to interrupt down a really sturdy Actual Sociedad.
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Ibrahima Konate, flooring raiser
This can be a model of Konate that Actual Madrid followers can get behind. In his two video games, he has appeared completely rock-solid, and it looks as if he’s edging nearer to his greatest model in a Actual Madrid shirt.
He has solely performed two official video games for Actual Madrid, however he has already appeared higher than the model that confirmed up for Liverpool final season. Clearly, there have been private issues he needed to cope with, which had an affect on his soccer, nevertheless it looks as if he’s slowly coping with it, whereas additionally recovering a model of himself that was a pleasure to look at in his first few years at Liverpool.
In opposition to Actual Sociedad, Konate accomplished 52 of his 54 passes, had two tackles, three blocks, three clearances and two recoveries. He knew when to step up and put strain on Actual Sociedad’s attackers, and in addition was in a position to handle the best aspect fairly comfortably at any time when Denzel Dumfries went on one in every of his darting runs into the attacking third.
If Konate is ready to preserve himself match and firing this manner, lots of Actual Madrid’s defensive points will slowly go away.