Actual Madrid made their final away go to of the La Liga season as they travelled to tackle Villarreal on Sunday night, ending in an exciting and dramatic 4-4 draw. All the pieces was going easily for the champions, who led 4-1 at half-time due to objectives from Arda Güler, Joselu and Lucas Vázquez, however Alexander Sørloth remarkably scored 4 objectives to attract the Yellow Submarine again stage.
Three solutions
1. How a lot of a battle would Villarreal put up?
Villarreal wanted a victory on this sport to spice up their hopes of European soccer subsequent season, with defeat nearly actually sealing their destiny of not competing on a continental stage in 2024/25. Not solely that, however Actual Madrid have gained solely one in every of their final six visits to the Estadio de la Cerámica, making it their worst run away towards an opponent since an analogous stretch of outcomes towards Deportivo La Coruña which resulted in 2008. This run continued with one other look to neglect in Villa-Actual, and Actual Madrid will now be seeking to finish it in 2024/25, when there’s more likely to be extra at stake.
2. Would Andriy Lunin be capable of put himself again into rivalry?
It appears more and more clear that the person to start out between the sticks in London on June 1st will likely be Thibaut Courtois, and with Carlo Ancelotti having confirmed that the Belgian will begin towards Actual Betis subsequent weekend, this was successfully Andriy Lunin’s final alternative to vary his thoughts on the sphere, quite than by tugging at his coronary heart strings. Conceding 4 in 90 minutes for the primary time in a Actual Madrid shirt was the worst doable final result, particularly because it got here from simply 2.06 xG. His defence did little to guard him with 21 pictures conceded, however it will solely have additional confirmed the choice that Ancelotti at present favours. It’s a bitter finish to a powerful season for Lunin.
3. Is that this final likelihood saloon for the second string?
Carlo Ancelotti had hinted within the build-up that this could be the ultimate sport along with his reserve choices out on the sphere, with subsequent weekend’s last league fixture of the season successfully offering a observe session for Borussia Dortmund within the Champions League last every week later. That implies that the gamers out on show had their last likelihood to stake a declare, even when most of them know that it could take an damage or a miracle for them to seek out their approach into the beginning line-up. What they might hope for was a outstanding function off the bench ought to they show themselves right here. Nonetheless, regardless of Arda Güler’s brace, Brahim Díaz and Lucas Vázquez’s two purpose involvements every, it appears unlikely that anybody comes out of this sport with a considerably elevated likelihood of that includes at Wembley.
Three questions
1. Is Arda Güler a midfielder or a ahead?
When the signing of Arda Güler was introduced final summer season, most anticipated him to settle into the midfield three and supply a long-term different to Luka Modrić. Now, the Turkish teenager is working extra like one of many entrance line, taking part in much like Brahim Díaz at some moments, Jude Bellingham at others, and even Rodrygo Goes. Right here, he performed totally on the appropriate flank in essentially the most superior place, seeking to reduce and drift inside along with his very good studying of the sport and motion seeing him seem in the appropriate place on the proper time to attain two well-taken objectives. That takes his tally to 6 in La Liga this season, greater than the likes of different younger forwards Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams, and firmly reveals his goalscoring credentials. The place he suits in subsequent season, with the bolstering of the squad anticipated in assault, may very well be an intriguing matter to look at.
2. Simply how good have Actual Madrid been away this season?
With three factors on the Cerámica, Actual Madrid wrap up 44 factors from a doable 57 away from residence in La Liga this season, with 13 wins, 5 attracts and one defeat. That one defeat got here within the type of the dreadful Derbi Madrileño defeat to Atlético Madrid in September to stain what had been an in any other case nearly good file. 44 factors away from house is the perfect file of any membership since Actual Madrid bought 48 factors away in 2016/17. This sport was a disappointment, particularly as these 4 objectives account for 23.5% of all objectives they’ve conceded in 19 away video games in La Liga this season, however it nonetheless brings a near a exceptional run.
3. How does Jude Bellingham really feel after watching that?
At first of this night’s video games, Jude Bellingham was one purpose behind Girona’s Artem Dovbyk within the race for the Pichichi. Now, Dovybk has prolonged his tally to 21, two forward of Bellingham’s 19, however much more irritating for the Englishman can have been to look at Alexander Sørloth rating 4 to go from being stage with him to being approach forward. Three of these got here in simply eight minutes as Villarreal mounted their comeback, with the assistance of Gerard Moreno who assisted all three. Bellingham gained’t be dealing with simply the frustration of his group dropping factors, but in addition the realisation that it’s extremely unlikely he’ll finish the season as Pichichi. To take action, he’d want to attain a minimum of 4 subsequent weekend towards Betis.