Real Madrid’s 2-1 win against Rayo Vallecano in Santiago Bernabeu was steady, but rather unspectacular to be honest.
The most important thing for Carlo Ancelotti is that his team scored three points and that the misfortune of Atletico Madrid against Getafe in La Liga in second place behind the rival Barcelona only to take up due to a hit difference.
Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior ensured that this happened with two goals in four minutes, but the remaining hour of the game was a hint of the champions unpleasant when they could not get out of second gear.
How the game unfolds
Madrid should have been reinforced by Atletico’s slips against Getafen on Sunday in the early game on Sunday, but they were Lethargian early when Rayo Vallecano’s intensive press forced some sloppy mistakes and concessions of the property.
Andriy Lunin’s flap on a corner set the tone for a nervous opening, although Vinicius rattled the Rayo post shortly before the quarter-hour mark after a quick outbreak by the Brazilian wing player Rodrygo.
There was a heartbreaking moment for up-and-coming young central defenders Raul Ascio when his no-look back pass came past Lunin and just wide on the post, but all the persistent nerves that the Spaniard had decided on half an hour when Mbapp showed his class to open the rating.
Vinicius’ good work on the left brought Mbappe into the canal and had broken free of Florian Lejeune. The 25-year-old, who got inside, to miss a crunchy, low exertion into the back corner of Augusto Batalla’s network.
The Bernabeu were back on the feet four minutes later, this time to attract a wonderful individual goal from Ballon d’Or-over-placed Vinicius. The lightning -fast Brazilian leaned on Luka Modrics Pass in the channel and refused to look for help from a teammate in Madrid. Instead, a Mazy Run started, in which Lejeune drove him around like a lost puppy.
Finally, Vinicius dared to go back to the penalty area and shifted the ball to his preferred right foot, and his low ride was distracted by the Andrei Ratiu’s legs to give Batalla no chance.
In other games this season, Madrid was allowed to drive over the finish line after setting up a lead of two goals, but that was not the case here. Rayo was full of energy and endeavor and pressed up on the field to find the property.
They were also crispy and associated with their death and thanks to the thundering effort of Pedro Diaz, which after a VAR check that was originally controlled for a potential offside, which had exceeded the line that had exceeded the line that had earned half of the deficit.
Afterwards Madrid never took control of the competition, with Rayo in the game without threatening himself completely, although they should have expanded the lead through Mbappe, who after a more excellent movement centimeter wide and then somehow spread through Vinicius, who somehow spread the ball after the brilliant setup game with the evergreen -Modric.
The three points take Madrid with Barcelona, who did not play on Saturday after the sudden death of Club Doctor Carles Minarro Garcia when Osasuna was postponed at short notice.
As important as this game for Real Madrid was that many people were ahead and thought about the 16 -year -old’s champions League round with Atletico Madrid.
Not Carlo Ancelotti.
The Italian knew that he had to play the majority of his big weapons against a spirited, determined Rayo, who ran fully from the first minute to the last time, and he got a good 80 minutes from Mbappe and Jude Bellingham. Vinicius played the full 90 minutes, as did Lucas Vazquez at the right -back after he had returned to the side.
The move paid off for Ancelotti when Madrid did the job – his decision was even more confirmed, perhaps due to the narrow freedom of victory.
There are continuing questions about whether Mbappe and Vinicius can really work together in the same Real Madrid team.
Both love to drift into the left flank and use their explosive pace to beat the defenders before they entered their strong right foot, and their goals against Rayo followed this pattern. They played here in an interchangeable front two and made it possible to play their strengths at times because the other more central areas occupied.
It meant that both were involved in the game and were able to build up their confidence early on what life gained life for the former central defender of Newcastle United Florian Lejeune and the full -back Andrei Ratiu, who gained some admiring looks for his appearances this season.
The only question mark is whether Mbappe and Vinicius play the rest of Madrid’s team together or not, but there is no doubt that they are as fatal as a partnership as everything in world football.
In an ideal world, Ancelotti would have made more important personnel changes without underestimating the impressive Rayo.
But the truth is that the five-time Champions League boss does not have the resources available to it, which prove that he is doing Federico Valverde in the second half. Madrid has injury problems, that much is true, but there is no depth of the talent when he really needs it.
The hardworking, all-action run of Valverde are properties that Madrid have to find in another squad player, so that the time of Uruguaya can rest its increasingly tired legs. There are also questions whether Arda Guler has what it takes or not to make it in Bernabeu – the fact that his manager did not use it here speaks in view of the recent workload of Rodrygo volumes.
Take a look at the full player reviews of Real Madrid 2-1 Rayo Vallecano here.