It may not have been a match for the ages, the chanting from the Santiago Bernabéu was familiar. Having been absent for some time, Jude Bellingham once again stood before the south end with his arms outstretched, basking in the fans' singing of Hey Jude. Following a shoulder injury and questions about his position, he netted his first goal of the season, ultimately securing a 1-0 victory for Real Madrid over a Italian opponent that made them work hard. “It was a tough battle,” commented Thibaut Courtois.
Decisive Stops Secure the Win
Courtois understood better than anyone, having to save a clear chance from Dušan Vlahović and make another crucial stop from Khéphren Thuram in the dying moments. This result puts Madrid on nine points and the opposition team outside the qualifying spots. At the end of a game with more shots than fluid football, the Juventus manager may reflect on a decent start, with those saves representing a missed chance around the closing stages; their current situation though presents worrying statistics.
“A side from Italy in trouble is twice as dangerous,” Xabi Alonso had remarked beforehand.
Juventus, which were without a victory since last month, did cause Madrid problems at the start and once more near the conclusion. Madrid commanded possession, 66%-34%, but Juventus threatened on the break, particularly with the French defender surging forward and the striker combining, firing off a dozen attempts compared to the hosts' 27.
Promising Start for Away Side
The visitors began brightly, without a doubt. After just three minutes, they thought they were ahead, Vlahović somewhat unfortunate to be penalized for pulling Éder Militão. Three minutes later, the Madrid defender had to slide ahead of him when the wing-back dashed clear on the right. And three minutes after that, the American midfielder's shot was pushed wide.
Next, from Federico Gatti's powerful strike, was a even better save. A quarter of an hour had passed. However, soon the Italians' momentum had dissipated as well. Madrid took control. Largely it was rather mechanical, though, and the three best opportunities fell to the French midfielder, who wouldn’t be the coach's preferred forward. Two were headed over, a third one deflected wide; an additional chance with the head was wasted by Militão.
Guler Shines
The best moments came from Arda Güler. The Turk, whose football was the closest there was to smooth attacking, was constantly in the action. His neat stop and turn saw him clip to the far post for Bellingham.
There was not much sign of the French superstar early on, but when he finally emerged it was the closest Madrid got to scoring. First his attempt was stopped by the Juventus keeper, who would produce eight saves. Then some exquisite dribbling saw him turn Andrea Cambiaso twice until he went down to the turf and laid off to his teammate to blast over.
Late Tension
Militão dived to halt Kalulu at the outset of the second half, and then came the customary save from the keeper when suddenly the attacker was through. The “inadvertent pass” had been remarkable, with the defender intercepting a ball inside his own penalty box and the sphere bouncing from the instep of his boot right through the middle to beyond the halfway line. Racing after it, huge space opening, the striker raced his marker, holding him off and heading into the area where Courtois made the stop.
Next the usual pattern occurred, the stop made good by the goal that comes after it. A burst from the Brazilian winger created it, creating enough space amid multiple defenders to release a low, left-footed shot which struck the upright. Positioned in that forward position was the goalscorer. The breakthrough found, Madrid ought to have sealed the game, the Frenchman stopped by Di Gregorio and Fede Valverde seeing his volley blocked by Gatti. Then the Juventus goalkeeper made a superb quick saves from the forward and the attacking midfielder.
There were more scares: as the game was slipping away, the defender had to make a stunning sliding block as Madrid were exposed and at the risk of the substitute unmarked in the penalty box. Then in the dying moments Courtois flew in to stop the midfielder, his work complete. For the visitors, there was no way back, the opening goal of the season the final of the encounter.
“I'm overjoyed, a while now since I’ve scored, a period out and thinking of that moment, returning in the elite competition and against a major opponent. To score a winner, in our stadium, it’s incredible. I was at ease, really good. To perform was crucial and to net the match-winner helps the team greatly.”
As for his form, he continued: “It wasn't that last year was a disaster, still fifteen strikes, 14 assists, but I know the perception was that it was worse. But I was a contributor to that, how we didn’t play as well last year, there were nonetheless good moments but not the standard I want to play at, not the caliber like the first year. Now I’ve had my operation, a new manager, he’s got that shape, how we want to play…. You have to learn from it.”
