On the occasion of the 8th Liga Day, Real Madrid moved to Alavés, one of the good surprises of the start of the season in Spain. Dominating but not enough worrying, the Merengues were finally surprised at the end of the game by a goal from Manu Garcia (1-0). Real Madrid hasn’t won in four games, and hasn’t scored in more than 360 minutes.
After its defeat on Tuesday in the Champions League on the field of CSKA Moscow, Real Madrid needed to pick up its head. In addition, the men of Julen Lopetegui remained on two games without a win in Liga after the loss in Seville (3-0) and the draw against Atlético Madrid (0-0). Worse, in the last 3 matches, Real Madrid had not scored a single goal. To get back on their feet, the Merengues (2′) moved to Alavés (6′), one of the teams in form at the start of the championship, for Round 8 of Liga. However, the Babazorros remained on a defeat, facing Levante (2-1). To restart a positive dynamic, Julen Lopetegui used Bale, Ramos and Modric, who were not in Russia, while Dani Ceballos was preferred to Marco Asensio. On the other hand, the top scorer of Alavés, Ibai Gómez, was well established.
From the start of the game, Real Madrid took over the camp of Alavés, like a first shot from Karim Benzema, without danger for Fernando Pacheco (3rd). After a combination between Bale, Benzema and Ceballos, the Spaniard in turn hit the doorman of Alavés (4th), before Bale took his head down too much on a center of the same Ceballos (5th). A few minutes later, Odriozola put a caviar on Benzema’s head, but Laguardia saved on his line (8′). Alavés was close to surprising Real Madrid but Jony lacked control over a long ball from Laguardia (20th), before Raphaël Varane beat Ibai Gomez, close to taking over a Calleri Center (27th). If they had started their match well, the Merengues could not bring danger to Fernando Pacheco’s goal. At halftime, both teams were back to back, 0-0.
Real Madrid too shy to worry Pacheco
On the way back from the dressing rooms, Julen Lopetegui made a strong choice : the exit of Karim Benzema, once again in a complicated match, for the entrance of Mariano Diaz. L’ancien Lyonnais was very close to justifying his entry into the game, but Laguardia was stealing the ball after a spectacular succession of dribbles (48′). On the counter, Jony centered for Ibai Gomez, but Toni Kroos intervened cleanly in the feet of the forward from Alavés (49′). After a comeback from Luka Modric, too few in sight in the first half, Casemiro fired a shot, without too much danger for Pacheco (51′). For the first time in the second period, Alavés was dangerous with a very distant shot from Duarte, which was difficult to push back by Courtois, before Mariano completely misses his volley on the counter on a centre of Bale (58′). A few minutes later, Wakaso, obviously inspired by his teammate’s attempt, attempted a shot from afar, this time too far away (60′). To try to bring the danger to the camp of Alavés, Julen Lopetegui took out Casemiro to bring in Marco Asensio and thus bring in an additional offensive player (61′). Little By Little, Real Madrid began to push, and Luka Modric found Odriozola, in the center position in the surface, but Alavés finally cleared out (64′).
In order to respond to the offensive changes of Real Madrid, Abelardo Fernández, the coach of Alavés, would release his best goalscorer, Ibai Gomez, for Ruben Sobrino (67′). In need of a solution, Gareth Bale tried again from afar, without danger to Pacheco (68′). A quarter of an hour before the end of the game, Alavés offered himself the biggest opportunity of the game with a Jony break, followed by Varane, but the Spanish forward crossed the line too much (77′). Gareth Bale, the most dangerous on the Madrid side, gave way to Vinicius Junior, A few seconds after a free-kick far too timid to worry Pacheco (79′). In the other direction, the best Alavés player in the game, Jony, was trying his luck, without success (84′). While the match seemed to be over, Manu Garcia was sprinting to the second post to cut a ball against Varane to offer the victory to Alavés (90e+5, 1-0). Real Madrid followed a fourth game without victory and without scoring, and remained second. Alavés went up to third and returned to his opponent’s level in the evening.