Tag Archives: Karim Benzema

La Liga Game Week 28: What to expect from the top teams

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The La Liga Santander title race is heating up at just the right moment, with Atletico Madrid dropping points, Barcelona picking up steam, and Real Madrid hanging on. Los Blancos are six points behind leaders Atletico Madrid but head into game week 28 with a boost after the return of Sergio Ramos and the fine form of Karim Benzema. The odds for this week’s games will be stacked. This week is a higjly anticipated week for sports in general, including horse-bettors.com, where some of the world’s finest in horse racing as the Cheltenham Festival, one of the most prestigious in the world, currently races on.

Atletico Madrid are lucky to still have a cushion at the top of the table because Simeone’s men have only two wins in their last five games, and their loss to Chelsea in the Champions League confirms their poor form. The Rojiblancos will look to bounce back this weekend when they face Alaves who sit in eighteenth place and are battling relegation.

Alaves are on a poor run of their own, with four defeats and a draw in their last five matches. Their position in the table means they have a chance to fend off relegation, meaning they might be a problem for Atletico if Simeone’s men do not play at their best. Barcelona have the best form of the top three, and seem reinvigorated after the voting of Joan LaPorta back as president of the club.

Lionel Messi seems to have particularly benefitted from the move as the Argentine has found his scoring touch once again. Now out of the Champions League, the Blaugrana have all their energy to invest in the pursuit of Atleti and the La Liga crown. That pursuit continues in game week 28 when they face Real Sociedad on Sunday. Playing away to Sociedad has always been difficult for Barca, but an in form Messi will no doubt be a welcome sight.

Four wins in the last four games have Koeman’s men four points behind Atleti. One huge factor may be the El Clasico which is set to play next month. The winner of that game may well be the last real threat to Atletico and the Blaugrana will be keen on reestablishing their dominance over Madrid with a win. Real Madrid are six points adrift but just two behind Barcelona, meaning any slip up from the Catalans will see their rivals overtake or draw level with them, with the Derby fast approaching.

Madrid needed late-game heroics from striker Karim Benzema to get all three points but given their solid form and the boost of Ramos’ return, Los Blancos should be able to handle the task of handling a pesky midtable team in Celta Vigo. This is always a tricky game for Zidane’s men, but with the title at stake, there should be a burning desire to get on the front foot from the kick off. Real have looked solid in recent weeks, and have most of their key players back in the lineup again. Still in the chase for Champions League glory, Zizou’s men may have more to do than the other two teams ahead of them but that is part of the usual expectations at Madrid, one the team is very capable of handling.

La Liga: Best 11 Players of Week 28

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The top 3 clubs all won so nothing has changed in that respect, however it is clear as daylight that Barcelona are getting better by each passing week and they destroyed Real Sociedad 6-1 at the weekend. The gap to 1st place remains at 4 points.

Karim Benzema is in great form and scored another brace as Real Madrid remain 3rd and they won their 18th game of the season as they beat Celta Vigo. Sevilla drew but it doesn’t matter given that Real Sociedad have lost 2 games in a row and Sevilla now has a 10 point safety net and should claim the final Champions League place.

Let’s take a look below at the players in La Liga who made the team of the week.

Goalkeeper: Jan Oblak- Atletico Madrid 7pts

Jan Oblak now has 14 clean sheets for the season as Atletico got past Alaves 1-0. Oblak had to made 3 good saves in the game and it was on a nervous knife edge for most of the 90 minutes.

Defender: Serginho Dest- Barcelona 8pts

Serginho Dest did help to concede 1 goal as Barcelona beat Real Sociedad 6-1. However Dest had a great confident game as he scored 2 goals. This was a rare occasion for the player and those were his first two goals of the season.

Defender: Kieran Trippier- Atletico Madrid 7pts

Trippier helped to keep a clean sheet as Atletico stayed 4 points clear at the top of La Liga with a 1-0 win over Alaves. Trippier also assited in the winning goal setting up Luis Suarez, to round up a great contribution for the Englishman.

Defender: Aissa Mandi- Real Betis 7pts

Aissa Mandi helped to keep his 8th clean sheet of the season as Real Betis beat Levante 2-0. Mandi who has had one of his best seasons as a player also assisted in the clubs first goal. His value is 6.5m.

Defender: David Garcia- Osasuna 5pts

Not for the first time David Garcia of Osasuna has made the team of the week. Garcia was solid in defence as helped to keep a 9th clean sheet for his club as they drew 0-0 with Huesca. The player now has 30 points overall

Midfielder: Nabil Fekir- Real Betis 6pts

It has been hot and cold with Nabil Fekir’s career ever since he joined Real Betis but it was certainly hot at the weekend as he scored a goal and helped Real Betis to beat Levante with that game ending 2-0. It was Fekir’s third goal of the season and he now has 32 points overall.

Midfielder: Marco Asensio- Real Madrid 4pts

Marco Asensio only played for 20 minutes as he came on as a 2nd half substitution but the midfielder did score Real’s 3rd goal of the game right at the end as they eased to a 3-1 victory over Celta Vigo. That was the player’s third goal of the season.

Midfielder: Alex- Cadiz 4pts

Alex makes the team of the week again and he earned another 4 points as Cadiz lost 2-1 away to Villarreal. It was a disappointing result for his club but Alex did manage to score a goal and he has 4 so far, he also has a total of 31 points.

Midfielder: Pere Milla- Elche 3pts

Pere Milla scored the opening goal for Elche although in the end they could only draw 1-1 with Granada. However it was Milla’s 2nd goal of the season and perhaps will give the 28 year old more confidence going forward as the campaign goes on.

Striker: Karim Benzema- Real Madrid 10pts

There were hardly any midfielders that stood out this week in Spain, but there were strikers- and it was the old brilliant guard. Karim Benzema scored another brace, he has been in brilliant form lately as Real Madrid beat Celta Vigo 3-1 away from home. Benzema now has 17 goals so far and is having another solid season with Real.

Striker: Lionel Messi- Barcelona 10pts

Lionel Messi has been back to his brilliant best in the league especially in the past month. Messi scored another 2 goals at the weekend as Barca destroyed Real Sociedad 6-1 away from home to put the pressure on league leaders Atletico Madrid and they are now only 4 points behind them. Messi is the leading scorer in La Liga this season and has 23 goals so far.

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La Liga: Best 11 Players of Week 27

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Atletico Madrid keep dropping points at the top of the league and it’s just 2 wins from their last five. With the type of consistency afforded to both Barcelona and Real Madrid Atletico could be in trouble and will have to start picking up points.

With 11 games left to play Atletico lead Barcelona by just four points and Real are 6 points behind. Barcelona won their 4th game in a row beating Huesca and the 2019 champions have not lost for the last 15 league games.

Sevilla are still looking good for the final Champions League place and have  six point advantage over Real Sociedad. There were only 17 goals in this week’s edition of La Liga, so let’s see who made the best team of the week.

Goalkeeper: Aitor Fernandez- Levante 7pts

Levante surprised Valencia at the weekend with a 1-0 victory and it was only Aitor Fernandez’s 2nd clean sheet of the season but at least he did it against a quality side. He is still on minus points but that stands at -6.

Defender: Kieran Tripper- Atletico Madrid 5pts

Kieran Trippier has been out of the headlines lately but the English defender put in a good shift at the back for Atletico. Though they could only draw 0-0 at the weekend. This was Trippier’s 11th clean sheet of the season.

Defender: David Garcia- Osasuna 5pts

David Garcia is Osasuna’s best defender this season and he has 25 points so far. Garcia was excellent as his club drew 0-0 with Valladolid in a very tough and tight game.

Defender: Yeray- Athleic Bilbao 5pts

Yeray has helped to keep 4 clean sheets now and Bilbao drew against Celta Vigo with that game ending 0-0. The fact they were away made the result more impressive. Yeray isn’t a household name but he made his presence felt in this encounter.

Defender: Aaron Martin- Celta Vigo 5pts

Aaron Martin made some great interceptions and read the game well as Celta Vigo drew 0-0 with Athletic Bilbao at the weekend. Martin now has 4 points and that was only his 2nd clean sheet of the season. Because of injury this was only his 8th game so far.

Midfielder: Alex- Cadiz 4pts

Alex has starred in a few team of the weeks and in general the player for Cadiz has really impressed. His team were losing against Alaves but Alex made all the difference when Cadiz were awarded a penalty in the second half and he made no mistakes, that was his 3rd goal of the season.

Midfielder: Jesus Navas- Sevilla 4pts

Jesus Navas faced an important game against Real Betis and he assisted in what would be the only goal of the game and the winning one as Sevilla won 1-0. Navas  now has 24 points and is only valued at 4.5m which looks to be a bargain as Sevilla try to secure 4th place.

Midfielder: Moises Gomez- Villarreal 4pts

Moises Gomez with 21 points is the currently the best midfielder for Villarreal and he underlined that at the weekend as the club beat Eibar 3-1 away from home. Gomez opened the scoring after just a few seconds in what would have been a very memorable weekend for the player.

Midfielder: Luka Modric- Real Madrid 2pts

Midfielders have made the team of the week for earning only 2 points which tells us it wasn’t a great week for this position. Luka Modric held rank well for Real Madrid as they managed to beat Elche 2-1 at home to keep their title dreams alive. Modric assisted for the first goal too.

Striker: Lionel Messi- Barcelona 10pts

Week after week there he is, Lionel Messi is back making the team of the week’s and he had a vintage performance as Barcelona heaped pressure on league leaders Atletico Madrid. Barca beat Huesca easy by 4-1 and Messi scored 2 goals, his first was rather special. With this game Messi also equalled the record number of appearances for Barcelona alongside Xavi.

Striker: Karim Benzema- Real Madrid 7pts

Karim Benzema just keeps on getting better the longer he is at Real Madrid and the Frenchman was the hero once again. Benzema scored both goals as Real Madrid beat Elche 2-1. Benzema now has 15 goals for the season and is easily Madrid’s best striker in the fantasy rankings.

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La Liga: Best 11 Players of Week 14

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Have Real Sociedad fallen? The club who were leading for so long have no wins in their six games and have dropped to 3rd place. Atletico Madrid lead with 29 points the same as the inform Real Madrid however Atletico has 2 games in hand over their city rivals.

Celta Vigo though are the team with the best form in the league which may come as a surprise. The club have earned 12 points from their last five games and have won 4 in a row. They have climbed up to 8th place as a result.

Barcelona have found form also and are in 5th place with 21 points and have gone their last three games undefeated. Lets’s take a look at who made the team of the week in the list below.

Goalkeeper: Rui Silva- Granada 7pts

Rui Silva kept his 5th clean sheet of the season and is valued at just 3m, and this came when Granada beat Real Betis 2-0 and he kept a clean sheet and his club have climbed up to sixth position.

Defender: Allan-Romeo Nyom- Getafe 6pts

Romeo-Nyom has kept 5 clean sheets and that may be seen as impressive for a club such as Getafe. Getafe beat Cadiz 2-0 away in a tough ground to win at to pick up their fourth win of the season.

Defender: Jeison Murillo- Celta Vigo 5pts

Jeison Murillo has not started the season well but picked up 5 points at the weekend and this could be a turning point for the player who is still on minus points overall and is valued at 3m.

Defender: Inigo Martinez- Athletic Bilbao 5pts

Inigo Martinez held firm at the back to keep his 3rd clean sheet of the campaign as Athletic Bilbao beat Huesca 2-0.

Defender: Djene- Getafe 5pts

Djene earned his 5 points after a mature and commanding display at the weekend. Getafe ended a 2 game losing run to beat Cadiz away from home and by 2 goals to 0.

Midfielder: Luka Modric- Real Madrid 4pts

Luka Modric now has 18 points after he earned 4 at the weekend as Real Madrid beat Eibar away from home 3-1.  Modric scored the 2nd goal to set Real on their way to victory and that is his 2nd goal of the season.

Midfielder: Roberto Torres-Osasuna 4pts

Osasuna were beaten at home 3-1 by Villarreal but this was a week of low scoring midfielders and Roberto Torres got Osasuna’s only goal of the game after scoring from the penalty spot. Torres has been in form lately though and his value is only 5m.

Midfielder: Lucas- Real Madrid 4pts

Lucas scored Real Madrid’s final goal as they beat Eibar 3-1 to climb to 2nd in the table. That was the midfielder’s first goal of the season and his value is 6.5m.

Midfielder: Yannick Carasco- Atletico Madrid 2pts

Yannick Carassco was a rock in midfield for Atletico as they got back to winning ways to beat Elche 3-1 at home. Carasco rounded off a very good game by assisting in Atletico’s 2nd goal of the game.

Striker: Karim Benzema- Real Madrid 8pts

Karim Benzema was brilliant yet again for Real Madrid as the veteran striker opened the scoring for the club against Eibar and then assisted in a further 2 goals. Benzema has 7 goals so far and has assisted in a further 5.

Striker: Luis Suarez- Atletico Madrid 8pts

It was another starring role for Luis Suarez who has been very good for his new club Atletico Madrid. They beat Elche 3-1 at the weekend and Suarez scored 2 goals including the opening one for his club. Suarez now has seven goals for the season so far.

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Fantasy La Liga Gameweek 5 Picks

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The 2020-21 Spanish La Liga season continues this weekend following the international break with Granada and Sevilla kicking off the action on Saturday lunchtime.

Real Madrid and Barcelona are both in action on the same day, with the champions welcoming Cadiz to the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium before Ronald Koeman’s side are also in the capital, away to Getafe.

Hare are our recommendations for your fantasy team this weekend:

Goalkeeper: Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid)
Real Madrid have kept three clean sheets in their four La Liga games to start the new campaign and are widely-expected to add another one versus Cadiz this weekend. Thibaut Courtois himself has been in fine form to start the new campaign.

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La Liga: Best 11 Players of Matchday 5

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The champions Real Madrid are back on top of the league after they overcame Levante. Surprise package Real Betis bounced back from back to back defeats to beat Valencia away from home and Barcelona could only draw at home against Sevilla in a tense match.

But which players performed the best over the weekend? Let’s take a look below.

Formation 4-4-2

Goalkeeper: Thibaut Courtois- Real Madrid 7pts

Thibaut Courtois made some vital saves as Real Madrid beat Levante 2-0. The home side had 11 goal attempts and 4 of those were on target as Levante gave Madrid a more difficult match than they had anticipated. Courtois now has 19 points for the season.

Defender: Facundo Roncaglia- Osasuna 11pts

Facundo Roncaglia earned 11 points as Osasuna beat Celta Vigo 2-0. It was a perfect weekend for the player who had struggled with points up until now. Not only did he score the opening goal but he assisted in the 2nd and of course kept a clean sheet.

Defender: Sergio Ramos- Real Madrid 10pts

Sergio Ramos is used to making player of the weekend teams. And he was solid as Real Madrid beat Levante 2-0 away from home. He made some vital interceptions and contributed well to the game.

Defender: Kieran Trippier- Atletico Madrid 10pts

Kieran Trippier has impressed in Spain and he was part of a defence that kept a clean sheet. The problem is it was more points dropped for the club who have drawn back to back games. This time at the weekend it was against Villarreal.

Defender: Raphael Varane- Real Madrid 10pts

Varane has come under fire last season and sometimes in this one. But on his day he is one of the best defenders in Europe. He earned maximum clean sheet points as Real Madrid beat Levante 2-0. He is valued at 8m.

Midfielder: Philippe Coutinho- Barcelona 8pts

Coutinho is back with Barcelona after his loan spell at Bayern Munich and it is hoped that he is re focused to perform better with the club. He did his job well at the weekend as the club came back from 1-0 down to Sevilla to draw 1-1 and Coutinho got the equaliser.

Midfielder: Portu- Real Sociedad 6pts

For the 2nd week in a row Portu has made the player of the weekend team line up. Portu scored Real Sociedad’s last goal as they beat Getafe 3-0 and the player looks like being an important one for the season ahead.

Midfielder: Sergi Roberto- Barcelona 6pts

Sergio Roberto had a solid game for Barcelona as they navigated a difficult test at home to Sevilla. He is valued at 7m and now has a total of 8pts for the season so far.

Midfielder: Edgar- Alaves 6pts

Edgar had a decent game as Alaves beat Bilbao 1-0, though sadly for the player he did have to go and could have a  possible injury. When playing he did keep his guard well and helped maintain a tight line that ultimately kept a clean sheet and 3 valuable points for the side.

Striker: Karim Benzema- Real Madrid 4pts

Benzema struck again and it was an important goal as Real Madrid were only winning the game 1-0. This 2nd goal finished the game off as a contest It was important for the usually prolific striker too as it was his first of the season.

Striker: Vinicius Junior- Real Madrid 8pts

Vinicius Junior scored his 2nd goal of the season and Real Madrid’s opening one. Could this be the season that Junior breaks out, as he has been hyped up for the last 18 months. His current value is a bargain looking 6m.

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Fantasy La Liga Gameweek 4 Picks

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The 2020-21 Spanish La Liga season continues this weekend after a full round of fixtures midweek.

FC Barcelona started the season with a convincing 4-0 thrashing of Villarreal over the weekend and will face Celta Vigo away on Thursday, before hosting Sevilla over the weekend.

Meanwhile. defending champions Real Madrid face a potentially tricky match versus Real Valladolid on Wednesday before travelling to Levante on Sunday.

Here are this weekend’s tips for your fantasy team:

Goalkeeper: Jordi Masip (Real Valladolid)
Real Valladolid welcome Eibar to the Jose Zorrilla Stadium in the first La Liga game of the weekend. Sergio’s side play a defensive game and had the best defensive record in the bottom half last season as a result. Although they’re without a clean sheet in their first three prior to travelling to Real Madrid on Wednesday night, weekend opponents Eibar are really struggling to score so this is an excellent opportunity to Jordi Masip to register a shutout.

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La Liga- Team of the 2019/20 season revealed

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Real Madrid won the league, Barcelona imploded by their standards and finished 2nd and the usual top 4 qualified for the Champions League. The season also kissed goodbye to Mallorca and Leganes and Espanyol finished bottom, so there will be no traditional derby between them and Barcelona next season.

But which players really came through and shined in La Liga? Which of these players did you have in your team? Did you find you had some bargains or was it the players that you would have expected to bag the points at the beginning of the season?

The format we are using is the traditional 4-4-2 as we look at the best team in La Liga for season 2019/20.

Goalkeeper: Thibaut Courtois- Real Madrid 117pts

Courtois finished with 10 more points than any other goalkeeper in the league and was only part of 2 keepers that earned over 100 points. Whilst Madrid didn’t score many goals by their standards this season they did defend well and Courtois was sharp in goal keeping an impressive 18 clean sheets.

Defender: Sergio Ramos- Real Madrid 109pts

Let’s face it Sergio Ramos is the defender of the decade in Spain and it is no surprise to see the Real Madrid veteran ranked as the best defender in La Liga this season. Not only did he help keep 17 clean sheets he also scored 10 goals, incredible for a defender. In a rare instance for him he also managed not to get sent off this season in the league.

Defender: Raphael Varane- Real Madrid 83pts

Varane had another solid season in the back four of Real Madrid keeping 16 clean sheets and scoring 2 goals and assisting in another one. He was mostly a constant in the side playing 31 league games and has formed the perfect bedrock with his teammates.

Defender: Daniel Carvajal- Real Madrid 79pts

Yet another Real Madrid defender and the reason they dominate the team of the year is because Madrid conceded the least goals this season. Carvajal only scored once this season but then again he assisted in a further 5 goals just adding to his reputation.

Defender: Diego Carlos- Sevilla 64pts

Sevilla qualified for the Champions League and defender Diego Carlos had an outstanding and consistent season. He scored a couple of goals but in his real job as defender he helped keep 15 clean sheets which is more than impressive.

Midfielder: Santiago Carzola- Villarreal 79pts

Not many would have thought that the best midfielder in La Liga in the rankings would end up being Santiago Carzola but the player has returned to his former club in style. Racking up 79 points his value was just 5.5m and he went on to score 11 goals and assist in another 9 in an outstanding season for him.

Midfielder: Raul Garcia- Athletic Bilbao 75pts

What a season Raul Garcia had as defender for Bilbao, scoring an incredible 15 goals with his club only finishing in 11th place. He almost netted 40% of his clubs goals. His one weakness this season was his bookings where he picked up 11 of them.

Midfielder: Roberto Torres- Osasuna 65pts

Osasuna may have only finished the season in 10th place but their standout player was midfielder Roberto Torres who scored 7 goals and assisted in another 8 in a memorable season for the player who would only have set you back 5m at the beginning of the season.

Midfielder: Toni Kroos- Real Madrid 56pts

Only one Real Madrid made the midfield selection and that was German international Toni Kroos. He was involved in 8 goals in the league and helped shore up the midfield too and protect the back four and when he played he helped in keeping 18 clean sheets.

Striker: Lionel Messi- Barcelona 134pts

Messi is still doing the business even if Barcelona had a season to forget. He was far and away the best player in Spain racking up 134 points. His scoring was down just 24 this season but that’s from just 32 games and on top of that he assisted in an incredible 18 other goals. Still one of the greats in world football.

Striker: Karim Benzema- Real Madrid 100pts

Much further down the pecking order, Messi would be partnered with Karim Benzema who had yet another consistent season with Real Madrid. Benzema assisted in 8 goals but also scored 21 making him the 2nd best striker in Spain this season.

All in all this is a team that is dominated by Real Madrid players, the eventual champions this season and 6 of their players are featured. It is interesting how just 1 player from Barcelona made the cut, a lot of change is clearly needed at the club ahead of the new season. And as for Atletico Madrid? They have an abundance of very good players, but not one of them was able to consistently stand out this season.

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Karim Benzema-Eden Hazard partnership has changed the picture for Real Madrid

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Something has changed at the Santiago Bernabu since the resumption of the Spanish Liga season – or the Estadio Alfredo di Stefano as Real Madrid’s home stadium is until the end of the 2019/20 campaign. They have taken their time, but Zinedine Zidane’s side have finally found their groove.

Indeed, Los Blancos have won all four of the matches they have played since the return of La Liga to rise to the top of the table. Victory over bottom side Espanyol on Sunday will see them go two points clear of Barcelona, putting them in pole position to win over their second league title in eight years.

There have been a number of different factors behind this resurgence, but the developing partnership between Karim Benzema and Eden Hazard has fundamentally changed the landscape for the club. This is the duo around which Zidane now seemingly plans on building his entire side around.

Real Madrid have struggled for attacking cohesion ever since the moment Cristiano Ronaldo swapped the Spanish capital for Turin, joining Juventus in the summer of 2018. Benzema picked up some of the slack somewhat last season, but Los Blancos struggled to fill the void left by their record top scorer.

Hazard was signed as the heir to Ronaldo, but the Belgian is a very different sort of player. It wasn’t clear until a few weeks where exactly he would fit into the Real Madrid team, with injuries fragmenting his first season in the Spanish capital. Now, though, the picture is much clearer.

Benzema and Hazard operate on the same wavelength. They have only been teammates for a year, not even a full season yet, but they recognise each others’ runs, each others’ movements. Some players just get one and other, and Benzema and Hazard certainly seem to be among them. Their partnership seems natural, as if it comes easily to them.

If Real Madrid are to clinch the championship, dethroning Barcelona as the kings of Spanish football, it will likely be on the back of Benzema and Hazard’s relationship. Others are contributing, with Marco Asensio back from injury, Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane forming a defensive wall at the back and Luka Modric back in form, but it’s the Belgian and the Frenchman at the head of the attack driving Los Blancos forward.

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Are things finally clicking into place for Real Madrid?

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Real Madrid could never have predicted the circumstances amid which it would materialise, but in the second half of Thursday’s 3-0 win over Valencia Los Blancos produced a performance close to what they had always envisaged for this group of players. It wasn’t perfect, but nearer to that mark than anything witnessed up until then this season.

Until that point, many had debated and discussed what exactly Zinedine Zidane wanted from his Real Madrid side. What he wanted them to be. The Frenchman had steadied the Santiago Bernabeu side, appointed late last season to get a head start on the 2019/20 campaign, but a lot of questions remained unanswered.

Thursday night might prove to be a turning point in this season’s title race and in Zidane’s second stint in charge of the capital club. With Eden Hazard fit again, a burgeoning understanding with Karim Benzema evident and Marco Asensio back on a football pitch after a year out of the game through injury,

There was movement all over the pitch. Ferland Mendy provided drive down the left side, contributing an excellent assist for Asensio’s goal with his first touch off the bench. Dani Carvajal offered something similar on the opposite flank which allowed Hazard the freedom to cut inside and link up with Benzema. The two players appear to operate on the same wavelength.

A midfield trio of Toni Kroos, Luka Modric and Ernesto Valverde gave Real Madrid the right balance of control and energy in the centre of the pitch, with the usual centre back pairing of Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane backing them up. All of a sudden, things came together very quickly for Real Madrid.

Of course, Los Blancos have produced impressive performances before this season. They have managed to keep pace with Barcelona at the top of La Liga and have put a number of opposition sides to the sword in the process. The problem is they have suffered nearly as many dips as peaks.

This time it felt different, though. In the past, Real Madrid’s best performances had been the byproduct of a sparking individual display by Benzema or someone else. Their performance against Valencia, however, was a result of their performance as a whole. Their new identity, which was evident perhaps for the first time this season.

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