A Ruibal missile dulls the shine of Rodrygo and Bellingham in Villamarín
The Benito Villamarín is one of those places marked in red on the Real Madrid calendar, one of those stadiums where survival is key to fighting for the championship.. And the white team, in a match from more to less, left two points on the way to the League title. Bellingham, yes, Bellingham again, scored 0-1 but Ruibal, with a great goal from outside the area, put the final tie. [Narrative and statistics (1-1)]
Carlo Ancelotti started with his gala eleven, aware of the significance of the penultimate home visit of this tough start to the season. The whites have already traveled to San Mamés, the Metropolitano, Montilivi, Sánchez Pizjuán, Montjuic and Villamarín, and 2023 is not over yet. Six of the most complicated exits in the League that Madrid has solved with three wins, two draws and one defeat.
In Seville, the Madrid team came out with Lucas Vázquez on the right, replacing the injured Carvajal and with ideas in attack that were somewhat different from those we have seen in recent weeks.. The drawing before the initial whistle suggested a 4-4-2 diamond formation with Rodrygo and Brahim at the top, but as soon as the ball began to roll Ancelotti placed the Brazilian close to the left touchline and the Malaga player close to the right, with Bellingham and Modric arriving from the second line. The Italian wanted to open the field, avoid the funnel in the center and take advantage of the spaces behind the Betic defense. And he succeeded at times.
Vinicius style
The first half hour was a continuation of the good play of the white team in recent weeks, flowing in choral sensations and in individual actions against a Betis that did not know how to sink its teeth into Madrid's dominance.. Modric, with a header, was about to make it 0-1 after five minutes, and Ruibal, right back for the suspended Bellerín, experienced firsthand the ideal moment that Rodrygo is experiencing. The Brazilian was Madrid's best at Villamarín, moving away from the center and sticking to the wing, in true Vinicius style.
In the 9th, he faced and dribbled with Ruibal inside the area and fell down, but Soto Grado did not consider it a penalty despite the footballer's protests.. Five minutes later, the Brazilian reappeared on the front line, he created a wall with Bellingham, the Englishman gave him a backheel and went into the area, with no luck to finish because a defender took off ahead of him.. The rebound from the clearance bounced off the forward himself and reached Brahim, who pushed the ball into the goal for the 0-1 score.. But the VAR notified Soto Grado and disallowed the goal for offside at the start of the action.
All of Madrid's danger came from the left side, in those triangles that they always build between Bellingham, Modric and Rodrygo and in the balls behind the defense that both the Brazilian and Brahim punished. In front, a Betis that only found inspiration in Isco's boots. The former white team player had his team's best opportunity in the first half, but his shot was bitten after an assist from Ayoze.
Ruibal's shot that made it 1-1 at Villamarín.
From the 30th minute onwards, the locals began to wake up and Madrid began to be much more imprecise. Lunin saved the 1-0 with a shot from Ayoze, who had stood in the area despite having fouled Mendy, and Willian José tried after a loss by Kroos on the way out.. Madrid was grateful for the rest.
After the intermission, Bellingham reappeared. When the whites' attack was most dense, who had 'forgotten' Rodrygo who had done a lot of damage at the beginning of the duel, the Englishman made it 0-1. He picked up a ball on the left wing, advanced diagonally and gave it up to Brahim, continuing his unmarking towards the area. The man from Malaga struck the ball first over the rival defense and the Briton, after extraordinary control with his chest, calmly defined against Rui Silva. His 16th goal for Madrid this season, his 12th in the League, where Pichichi remains with three more than Griezmann.
Isco and Joselu, in the final stretch
The goal hurt Betis and established Madrid's dominant position, which felt comfortable in those long possessions in the rival field.. But on the Sevillian afternoon, the white team made unexpected mistakes. Not only in output, also in construction, something strange. On one of those possessions, Bellingham came up short on a change of play and Ruibal started a counterattack.. He handed over to Willian José, who again found him two meters from the front, and the full-back, without pressure from the Madrid defense, did not think twice.. He released a cross missile that slipped through the right corner of Lunin's goal. A gentleman goal.
The tie raised the morale and physical effort of Betis and left a Madrid in shock that could not find any ease again towards Rui Silva's nets.. Rodrygo tried non-stop, the best of the afternoon, but he lacked success in the last pass or the last action to decide the match. Of course, the Brazilian once again left a recital in that left-handed position that Vinicius usually occupies.. Lucky choice for Ancelotti. In one of those slaloms, the Brazilian ended up knocked down, but Soto Grado let him continue when he saw that the ball fell to Joselu, who shot across Rui Silva.
Before, Isco, the local star, was about to make it 2-1 with a great header, but the ball crashed into the post. Draws in an intense Villamarín for a Madrid that could lose the lead if Girona is able to beat Barcelona in Montjuic.