Real Madrid calmly resolved a duel designated for the protest that was reduced to the disinterest of its people. They say that the greatest punishment is indifference, and the Bernabéu distanced itself from that anger on Levante day. Of course, he distinguished his messages. He rewarded Gonzalo, who opened a dull game with the passion that youth players bring. He also rewarded Brahim, intense, Carvajal, a surprising substitute, or Bellingham, author of the sentence, who interpreted the signals well and hardly celebrated. The opposite of Mbappé, angry not because of his football, but because of his attitude and his apparent disinterest. And he stood up to hug Santi Cazorla in one of his last functions as a professional footballer. Well-deserved award for a talented and exemplary player.
Not even the Fan Stand was filled. Between the weak entry, the worst of the season, and the public address system at full blast, the whistles and protests were diluted, if there was any desire to show them. It should not be ruled out that the staff listened to Florentino Pérez, how can they whistle at the players, who are like sons. There was little whistle, but chosen. For Vinicius mostly. That he did not intervene in the earliest opportunity, well manufactured by Gonzalo and finished off by Mastantuono. The Argentine played well, but Aarón Escandell took a handball foot.
He cheated on that opportunity because the duel fell at a preseason pace. How would it be the game that the biggest ovation of the first third occurred was when focusing on Santi Cazorla on the video scoreboards. Carvajal was also briefly focused on, but the applause did not start in time. Two myths for their clubs that deserve better treatment from their coaches. Far better. In short, Oviedo took advantage of the low white tension to approach the goal seriously. Nacho Vidal picked up in the heart of the area and finished high, with Asencio diving in with everything to cover. The Carbayones asked for a penalty, but De Burgos agreed that the white center back’s effort did not influence the outcome of the play. The whistles grew after the warning and Madrid woke up. After some incursions by Brahim, the most intense at the Camp Nou and at the Bernabéu, and a good cross by Trent that Vinicius did not catch, an error at the start of Ilyas facilitated the robbery, Brahim’s tense pass and Gonzalo’s goal. Control oriented in turn and cross finish. From the 9th manual. It will be loaned or with a buyback option. Let’s see if he gets more use in his new destination than this year, where he started as a revelation at the Mundialito and ended up underused. Question of hierarchies.
There were no changes after the break. Cazorla jumped in first to warm up, and shortly after, Bellingham and Carvajal. Trent appeared as a midfielder, with Tchouaméni further back. As Madrid has a full-back that attacks better than it defends (Trent) and an interior that defends better than it attacks (Mastantuono), Arbeloa shook the drawing for a while. It allowed Franco to arrive in the area with a clear option but he finished wide. The Bernabéu stood up to applaud the entrance of Santi Cazorla, one of ours. Of all. The first thing he did was put in a vertical pass that disarmed the defense and led to a failed Reina volley.
Mbappé jumped in to warm up and got a loud whistle, in contrast to the applause for Tchouaméni (surprising), Bellingham and Carvajal when they jumped onto the grass. We were in that discussion when Oviedo forgave the tie. Reina moved very well in the midfield line and left Nacho Vidal alone against Courtois. The Belgian became big and the winger did not hit the goal. Mbappé entered the green and the Bernabéu pointed out to him. Because of his behavior, his escapades, his untimely messages. The Frenchman came in playfully, asking for the ball and playing the ballroom. Free of any protest in the previous storms, the Madrid fans always detested the dizos. It is up to you to redirect that relationship.
The changes lowered the revs even further to a duel that was not yet resolved. Jude Bellingham finished him off in a good move, after Mbappé pivoted. The Englishman slipped between three defenders and crossed with his left foot. He didn’t do his classic celebration, arms crossed, nor did he listen to Hey Jude. He understood well that there is nothing to celebrate. All that remains is to close a terrible year with decency and professionalism.
