A Ceballos brace and two own goals
Real Madrid came home from yesterday’s trip to Vitoria with all three points – a decent return but not enough to allay concerns about the team’s performance. Once again chances on goal went astray – Cristiano notably hitting the woodwork twice, which was exasperating for Madrid fans to watch. Cristiano is back after suspension and this is nothing more than just a barren patch which the team will come out of sooner or later. More worrying is the ease at which Madrid’s rivals are able to find openings and create clear chances on goal. Alavés, who hadn’t score in any of their previous five matches, scored at leisure and hit the post twice. Madrid ended the game looking apprehensive and waiting for the final whistle.
Ceballos delivers the goods for Madrid
The positive note was the appearance of Dani Ceballos and the goals he contributed – two excellent strikes, the kind you’d expect to see from a daring player who is brimming with self-confidence. He played in place of Modric, with Lucas Vázquez deputizing for Bale. Madrid had an abundance of quality in midfield, but in terms of production, they fluctuated. Asensio, after an explosive start to the season and being acclaimed as Europe’s best under-21-year-old player by L’Équipe, seemed to hit a hurdle at Mendizorroza. Between one thing and another, Madrid started ceding ground to an increasingly enthusiastic Alavés who, in contrast to their guests, ended the game without any points but with morale restored.
Barcelona and Atlético keep the pressure on
Faith wasn’t enough for Girona, who fought to the bitter end in their meeting with Barça despite finding themselves up against the ropes from early on. The first two goals were own goals but that didn’t dent their spirits. With Maffeo doing a sterling job in man-marking Messi, Girona managed to stop the Barça ace from scoring, but other than that it was another comfortable win for Barça and post their sixth win in six games. And between Barcelona and Madrid, Atlético ratified their position in the table with their second win at their new stadium, where Diego Costa got the chance to witness first-hand the emotion of the game in his first visit. And Griezmann was back among the goals. The way things seem to be going for Atleti, they might yet convince him to stay...