When Bellingham coughs, the Bernabéu holds its breath. It's not grandpa's cough. It is the cough of someone who has just arrived, but who, in just over three months, has become the repository of a historic mission, as the Champions League always is for its authoritarian emperor.. Bellingham falls, hurts and the respectable person has the unexpected sensation of looking into the void, something that does not correspond to the sensations of strength that his team emits on the grass, capable of overcoming the breakage of their masts, Courtois and Militao, losing Vinicius' knife or starting without a 'nine', but playing with solvency and ending with the goal of the most unexpected, Nico Paz, proof of life of the lost quarry. That was against a worthy Naples to fulfill the roadmap that its history imposes, first in the group where it is the first of all.
The 'Predator' Bellingham, Zidane's boots and the Nico Paz diamond: “Let it serve as a message for the youth players”
Nico Paz to the shame of Ancelotti
Ancelotti looked for his Swiss army knife in Valdebebas all week and in his eleven appeared Alaba, back, Ceballos and Brahim, one addition per line, which is no small thing.. The alignment of the man from Malaga with Rodrygo in the attack implied the unknown of their complementarity, because neither is a pure finisher.. They are not forwards who wait for the shot. They are forwards who arrive at the place of the shot. In a few minutes they did it to tie a match that started cold for Madrid, with Kvaraskhelia's measured center and the final arrival of Gio Simeone. There is no better place to score for a son of the red-and-white messiah. Lunin showed reflexes and a strong hand, but already inside the goal, according to what the scoring technology told the referee.. Blessed device to avoid tangles. You have to wonder why it is not used in the Spanish League. With so much trouble with the VAR, it wouldn't hurt to get some out of the way.
BRAHIM'S RESOURCES
Rodrygo resolved the same way he did a few days ago, with one of his perpendicular runs in the area waiting to find his shot, hard, placed. The Brazilian, however, would not have been able to do it without Brahim's previous maneuver, after a steal and a turn on himself that allowed him to orient himself vertically towards the goal.. Correct orientation enables anticipation to gain advantage. It is the type of detail that defines the quality of a player. This footballer has more than that, as he is going to have to make a great effort to survive in Madrid when players recover and others arrive. With the resources on the street, he has a lot to contribute throughout a season, even if he is not always a starter. Their future will depend on understanding it, both the player and Madrid. Some cramps prevented him from finishing, replaced by Nico Paz, 19 years old. He will remember this first goal as he remembers the first time.
The quality of reaching out is also one of Bellingham's qualities, which has practically all of them. The Englishman arrived in the area when he sensed Alaba's movement, which really seemed to have been launched by Kroos. There is no better foot in Madrid, no matter how much time passes. No better view. The Englishman headed in the race away from Meret. Then he stepped wrong on a rug, something that can happen, there was silence and a small bird passed by.. Beyond the fact that he felt less comfortable, he suffered from Madrid's loss of initiative, surprised by Anguissa in his area as soon as he returned to the field of play after the break. Kroos and Mendy mistimed their arrival. The Naples player crossed from a penalty at the first time, but Ceballos' naive rebound fell on his feet. Then he shot Lunin as if he were shooting from a meter away with a sawed-off gun.
FORGIVENESS TO JOSELU
Walter Mazzarri, an old fox on the Italian bench, had reserved Osimhen for the last 45 minutes, so Napoli found themselves in a favorite scenario.. He had the arrivals he was looking for but did not enjoy the Nigerian's punch. At the Bernabéu you pay, because Madrid always comes back, and now we know that Bellingham does too. With this footballer, every game is a discovery.
He returned to command and ended up assisting a redeeming goal for Joselu, whom Ancelotti had put on track to overcome the Napoli tie, but without luck. Neither in the overhead kicks he tried nor with an empty goal after Meret rejected a shot from Bellingham himself.. The honor of breaking that tie went to Nico Paz, with an excellent maneuver and better shot. Joselu's goal helped him apologize. Needless. The Bernabéu forgives him, because the Champions forgives everything.