A Chilean to reunite with Madrid, Joselu's claim

It was the 89th minute of a preseason game, but in the mind of Joselu Mato (Stuttgart, 1990) it was a moment of vindication. 120 minutes had already passed since Real Madrid began their preseason and the center forward of Madrid had not scored. In addition, he had scored two quite clear occasions in the previous minutes.

“I was a bit annoyed by the chance I had on my head, but I'm happy because it's a preparation match. The ball comes high, I don't think about it…” the protagonist began the description of his goal in the mixed zone. “I thought about it at the last moment. It was one of the few options I had, coming so balloon. It crossed my mind for a millisecond,” he continued.

And then “it's not the first time I've tried it and it worked out well”. What he tried and came out was a spectacular Chilean kick after Lucas Vázquez's center. A goal, Real Madrid's 2-0 win against Manchester United, which made the Manchester United fans throw their hands up, even though it was a pre-season game.

15 goals with Espanyol

It is a repeated image in the recent history of Madrid. That of fans and even coaches raising their hands to their heads before a scissor goal. However, those moments ended up being bittersweet, perhaps not for the white team, but for its protagonists.

Real Madrid's penultimate Champions League, the one that Zinedine Zidane's team won in Kiev in 2018, is remembered for those two great scissor goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Bale, against Juventus and Liverpool, respectively. Indelible moments in the thirteenth European title for the white team, but with a farewell aroma for both players, even if Bale, or his shadow, remained for a few more years.

However, this Chilean from Joselu comes to say the opposite. It is the welcome or the return to the club of the former Espanyol striker, who last season finished in the bronze boot in the top scorer of the Spanish league with 15 goals. The silver boot, by the way, went to Karim Benzema, former captain and historic footballer of Real Madrid, who is replaced by the Spaniard and whose shadow can be very long.

Before his signing for the white team was finalized, Ancelotti said that “he liked Joselu, like all strikers who score goals”, but that was before the French Ballon d'Or came out. In fact, Mato was counted on more as a revulsion than as a starting striker.

Bellingham and Mbappé

“We can compete for all the titles with just one pure center forward. It is true that we have only played with one in recent seasons, Benzema, who was not pure. And a player has arrived who can contribute a lot to us with the change of system”. Ancelotti praised Joselu, but outlined that the responsibility shifted to another line and another name. He was talking about the British Jude Bellingham, a name with status and star stripes who, in just two games, has lived up to expectations.

If Joselu has had to vindicate himself, Bellingham has only confirmed what was expected of him. What happens is that he has done it with an inappropriate naturalness for a 20-year-old. Without going any further, Modric, a teammate in the midfield in Real Madrid's last victory over United, took almost a year to convince the Bernabéu crowd. He would also do it, precisely, against the red devils in that Champions League tie in 2013 that Mourinho's Madrid would overcome.

After the friendly against United, Ancelotti revealed at a press conference that “the Madrid squad was complete”, referring to questions about Kylian Mbappé. Surely the Italian coach could make room for him given his situation at Luis Enrique's PSG and after the Frenchman rejected the offer of 400 million for a year to play for the Saudi Al-Hilal plus another 300 for the Parisian team. Ancelotti's Madrid is Bellingham's Madrid and, perhaps, after the welcome chilena, it is also Joselu's.