Sevilla 3-0 Real Madrid
Knee-jerk reactions to this debacle of a match:
- This was ugly. Like, almost on the level of Pellegrini-era Real Madrid losses. Madrid didn’t look like they had a chance for almost the entire match. Lopetegui’s lovely possession style that has been so proudly on display this season, even in the draw at San Mames, was nowhere to be seen. We still somehow managed to have 59% possession, but considering we were chasing a two goal deficit for the entire second half that’s really not all that impressive.
- Aside from a few notable examples, most of the team looked like it couldn’t be bothered to care much. It’s not that they weren’t trying out there; it was more that Sevilla’s players were playing with a fire that we clearly lacked. I know that’s part of the burden of being Real Madrid – teams ALWAYS get up for the game against you and give you their best performance. But considering the quality (and salary) of this team, that’s no excuse.
- Modric was pushed higher up the field for much of the game, I’m assuming due to the absence of Isco (?), and he was effective, at least in spurts, at creating chances in a team that looked otherwise unable to do any serious damage. Bale had a number of break-out opportunities due to his outrageous speed, but the fact that our best chances came as a result of isolated individual brilliance on the counterattack is not a promising sign when this is supposed to be such a cohesive “team.”
- The score line, bad as it was, could easily have turned out much worse. Sevilla had legitimate chances to push it to 4-0 just by halftime. Granted, Madrid were unfortunate not to have converted a couple of our own opportunities, but so goes the game, and we live and die by such strokes of “luck.”
- Thank god Barca also dropped the three points today. The little bit of salve in this wound is that our loss came at the Sanchez Pizjuan, were we always seem to have trouble, while Barcelona were snuffed out away to Leganes, who were residing at the bottom of the table.
- I seriously hate the Sanchez Pizjuan. Whenever we have a game there, I have that same gnawing in the pit of my stomach that I used to get when we would be away to Deportivo La Coruna. I still remember the feeling of relief when we finally put the curse of the Riazor to bed (also under Pellegrini – shout out to him, I guess) on the back of goals by Granero and Benzema. God Benzema has been around for a while.
- I’m pretty sure we can all agree that today’s loss is primarily down to those ugly-ass uniforms. I was so unused to seeing Madrid in such a bright color that it took me the better part of the first half to even be able to recognize who was who in the squad. I can only assume that excessive reflections off that foul fuchsia made it hard to see, and the impaired vision effectively gutted our game plan. Maybe the same is true of Barca who had trouble in their own Day Glo kits.
- Someone please start a petition with Adidas to and come up with something more suitable for away matches. That highlighter color brought nothing but lowlights, and I’d prefer that performance not be repeated.
