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On Saturday afternoon, Real Madrid traveled to the Estadio Benito Villamarín to play Real Betis in LALIGA and came away with a 1-1 draw thanks to goals from Jude Bellingham (who scored a fantastic goal) and Aitor Ruibal (whose shot was so good that even Madrid supporters would have to applaud).
Three answers
1. In goal, who would start first?
If there was any pressure on Andriy Lunin as a result, he rose to the occasion and produced one of his best displays in a Real Madrid shirt, making a total of four saves, denying 1.04 of xGoT with some impressive saves, such as to deny Isco early in the second half. Kepa will have been gritting his teeth, watching from the bench, and wondering when he will return. However, Carlo Ancelotti continues to delay that decision and has stuck with the Ukrainian despite leaving the door open to rotation in goal during his press conference on Friday.
2. What would Lucas Vázquez think of Dani Carvajal’s replacement?
Before facing Real Betis, Lucas Vázquez had only started one League of Legends match this season, and that match resulted in the team’s worst performance against Atlético Madrid (3–1). With Dani Carvajal sidelined for the remainder of the campaign, Vázquez was given a rare starting opportunity to gain some momentum and was given the right-back role against Betis. In doing so, he demonstrated just how good Carvajal is and how much the team is missing him.
Clumsy in tackles, he may have been lucky not to concede a penalty and he also conceded three fouls, winning only four of his nine duels. On the ball, numerous moves fell apart once they spread to him on the right flank, where his crossing and passing let.
3. Is another Real Betis draw something Real Madrid could escape?
Real Betis has only lost twice in LALIGA this season, which is fewer than the two defeats by Atlético Madrid, Athletic Club, or Real Sociedad above them in the standings. This is due to the fact that they have drawn seven games, a record only surpassed by Mallorca in the league, six of which have come in their last ten games. That total now stands at eight. Real Madrid is disappointed to have lost at home, but there is little that can be done about Aitor Ruibal’s game-winning goal, and Isco’s late goal raises hope that it could have ended differently.
Three questions
1. How well-muscled is Jude Bellingham?
Jude Bellingham’s performance levels may have decreased over the last two weeks, but Ancelotti clarified that his unique training plan is intended to help him overcome an ankle knock in addition to his shoulder issues. Here he was again, scoring another crucial goal to break the deadlock and give his team the lead with a superb finish; he created three chances overall, more than any Real Madrid player, and finished three of his four dribbles as he ran Betis ragged in the middle. Marc Roca and Sergi Altamira tried to drop deeper to double up on him, but they were unable to match his pace and power.
2. Is there a way to remove Brahim Díaz?
Though this marked Brahim Díaz’s first back-to-back start in LALIGA this season, his recent form has made him one of the first names on the team sheet. Here, his deftly placed pass over the top set up Bellingham for Real Madrid’s lone goal of the match; while he was not at the center of everything here like he has been in some other games since returning to the team, he has been making regular contributions, even if they are brief ones. That is more than players like Joselu can say, as they mostly come off the bench and contribute minimally.
3. Is it possible for Luka Modrić to play the entire 90 minutes of a Real Madrid match?
Luka Modrić was substituted at exactly 70 minutes into the match, marking the third straight game that he has started for Real Madrid. The last time he played more than 90 minutes for Los Blancos was on October 24th against Braga; he has only done so three times this season (79 against Osasuna and 80 against Union Berlin). In that same period, he has played the full 90 minutes for the Croatian national team four times. Despite this, he finished with three shots and one chance, regularly contributing to the team’s offensive play. He still has a lot to offer this team, but it appears that Ancelotti does not think he can do so for ninety minutes.