Real Madrid beat Atletico Madrid in a scintillatingly thrilling penalty shootout (1-0 AET) to get to the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the fifth consecutive season. Here are three very quick observations from the win.
Eduardo Camavinga’s return to form
Thank God.
This was the Camavinga we all knew and loved. This was who we wanted to see against the best teams in the world, sliding his way to cobra tackles and sly passes. We have been waiting for this version of Camavinga for what it feels like ages. It has not been that long, but it feels like it has.
Real Madrid have played so many important games all season, but they were not able to find one game where Camavinga shone with them, especially since his recent return from injury. This time, when the stakes were at an all-time high, Camavinga showed up.
Camavinga properly filled up the stat sheet. In just 55 minutes including extra time, Camavinga won seven of his nine duels, completed all but one of his 31 passes, had two clearances, two interceptions, a whopping six tackles, and lost possession just one time.
It was not even just the stat sheet. It was what he was doing on the pitch. Camavinga looked like a different player. He played such a mature game, made every single correct decision he could have possibly made, and simply showed up when the stakes were high. It was brilliant to see what he did with the football on Wednesday.
Hopefully, this is a sign of things to come from the Frenchman, who is so obviously talented that it is hard to see him perform badly sometimes. A refreshing performance.
Real Madrid’s U-shaped attack
The result was what Real Madrid fans wanted, so no one will complain too much, but the match itself — for the majority of it — was an absolute eyesore for the people watching. The first half, especially, was probably one of the worst halves of football that Real Madrid could have played.
They played into Atletico’s strengths. The Rojiblancos were masterful with their defensive work, not allowing Real Madrid even a sniff of goal, but Real Madrid’s players looked more lethargic than they have looked in a big game in months. There was no sense of urgency or intent from the forwards — two of which were completely isolated all night — and even with two-thirds of possession, Real Madrid were not able to muster up a single chance.
For a team that is supposed to have the best attack in the world, this was not the benchmark anyone wanted set. Atletico did an excellent job isolating Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappe, but you need more from them. Mbappe and Vinicius have not looked good in a single game against Atletico Madrid this season, and you need them to do more. You need your best players to show up in a game of this magnitude, and this time, they didn’t. It almost seemed like they did not even want to try, at least in the first half. It was a mixture of an Atleti masterclass and a Vinbappe disasterclass. Even Rodrygo, who looked to be the most involved of the three, could not do much.
As the space started to open up — which was, in a way, a testament to Real Madrid’s patience, I guess — Mbappe looked a bit more lively. He won Real Madrid the penalty that Vinicius Jr skied, made a couple of sick challenges, but the player who is supposed to be the best in the world has to do more. Much more for Vinicius as well, who just did not look himself all night and was subbed off before the shootout.
Real Madrid need to figure out a way to break down low blocks. If you cannot break them down, and you also cannot win against a high-pressing, possession-oriented team, what can you do? How are Real Madrid supposed to beat the best teams in the world this way?
The second half was better, and extra-time was also better, but Real Madrid need to do more with the ball.
The penalty conundrum
I do not have much to add to this. Vinicius Jr skied his penalty. This was the first time I had seen him do something like that, and instead of simply going for a low finish on the left, he just seemed to want a top-corner penalty. It is risky, and it is something that I have always wanted to talk about in these articles.
Vinicius Jr is a good penalty taker. He has scored far more than he has missed, and has generally been great from the spot whenever called upon, especially in big games. However, with Mbappe taking the penalties, it just feels like Real Madrid are in safer hands. Mbappe missed two huge penalties against Athletic Club and Liverpool earlier in the season, which is what makes this argument tough to think about logically.
With Vinicius Jr, I always have this problem of not being able to have faith in his penalty kicks. Ironically, Mbappe — who has missed more penalties than Vinicius — seems to me like the safer choice.
Also, if anything, it showed once again why Real Madrid should just have one designated penalty taker. If it is Mbappe, stick with him for the rest of the season. If it is someone else, then let them take it every single one. Taking a case-by-case approach based on form never works in penalties as the players do not have that continuity.
I personally feel it should be the man who scored three of those in a World Cup final, but even if it is Vinicius Jr, I’d much rather Carlo Ancelotti put his foot down and stick with him than keep changing every other match.