Deportivo Alaves vs Real Madrid

La Liga

24 September 2024
Score: 2 – 3
Santiago Bernabeu

First Half Highlights

In this match, Real Madrid’s captain was Lucas Vazquez in the absence of Carvajal and Modric.

Within the very first minute of the game, Valverde passed a long ball to Vini on the far left flank of the opposing field. Vini dribbled inside the box on the left and made a classic pass to Vazquez, who was unmarked. He easily took a shot with his left foot into the net, scoring within 55 seconds of the game.

It was a great pass from Valverde, combined with Vini’s superb skill to penetrate the box, a right pass to the right person, and the clinical finish from Lucas that bore fruit for the team so soon.

Valverde received a yellow card in the 3rd minute for his frustration after the referee awarded a free kick to Alaves.

Alaves earned two corners back-to-back in the 6th minute, but they could only make limited use of them.

In the 13th minute, an Alaves player received a pass just outside the box, dribbled into the 18-yard area, and took a ground shot between two Madrid defenders, but the ball went straight into Courtois’s hands.

Up until the 13th minute, there had only been one shot on target from both teams. Aside from the first goal, there had not been many attempts on either side’s goal.

At times, Vini and Rodrygo played close together, with Mbappe in a central position. Lucas occupied the right forward position, taking over Rodrygo’s role as a winger, thus strengthening the attack and confusing the opposing defenders.

In the 18th minute, Vini threw the ball into the box for Mbappe. It was a good pass, but it was slightly too far for Mbappe to reach, and the ball went out of play. It was a good attempt by Vini; had Mbappe connected, it could have been a dangerous situation for Alaves.

By the 20th minute, Alaves had not been able to pose any problems for Real Madrid. Similarly, Real Madrid, despite having more possession and dominating the ground, had not created a consistent threat at the goal.

In the 21st minute, Real Madrid executed a superb build-up and even scored a goal, but it was ruled offside, wasting the attempt. Bellingham passed the ball to Vini, who then set it up for Mbappe. Mbappe received the ball well inside the box, defeated the keeper, and shot it into the net, but he was declared offside. This was a good attempt by the trio of players.

Vinicius received a yellow card in the 30th minute after being fouled by a defender on the edge of the box, winning a corner. He was not happy with the decision and was seen complaining.

In the 32nd minute, Vini had the ball and ran down the right flank to the box, delivering a dangerous cross to Mbappe. However, Mbappe misjudged it and missed a good opportunity for a goal. The ball was then received by Rodrygo on the left flank, but he was fouled by an Alaves player, resulting in a free kick for Madrid.

Vini sent the ball into the box for Rodrygo, who chested it into the center. Lucas moved in for the ball but was blocked by a defender and fell to the ground. Madrid fans were unhappy with the referee’s decision, believing it was incorrect.

In the 40th minute, Mbappe received the ball in the center of the opposition’s half and passed it to Bellingham on the left. As he passed, he ran forward into the box, and Bellingham returned the ball to him. Mbappe took a good shot at the near post and scored a second goal for the team. The close-range shot was unstoppable for the keeper. As the commentator noted, this was the kind of performance Real Madrid had been waiting for from Mbappe for many years. It was a superb move, showcasing excellent mutual understanding between Mbappe and Bellingham.

Around the 46th minute, Vini attacked from the left side of the box and took a shot, but it was blocked by a defender. He later attempted a second shot, which was also blocked.

Real Madrid earned a corner, which was headed by Tchouameni, but the ball went out by the left post. In the dying moments of the first half, Bellingham passed the ball to Mbappe on the left flank inside the box. Mbappe, with the ball on the left at a tight angle, tried to shoot into the net, but keeper, Severa, managed to block it. However, this attempt was ruled offside, so even if Mbappe had scored, it would not have counted.

In this first half, Real Madrid dominated, creating numerous chances and scoring two goals. Alaves rarely created any opportunities and struggled with ball control throughout the half.

Second Half Highlights

There were no changes to Real Madrid’s lineup at the start of the second half.

As in the first half, in the 48th minute, Lucas passed the ball to Rodrygo on the right flank. Rodrygo dribbled into the Alaves box, beat two defenders, and shot the ball into the net from a tight angle, scoring an incredible third goal of the match.

A dangerous attack was led by Vini in the 52nd minute. Rodrygo passed to Vini inside the box on the right, and Vini moved closer to the left post to take a shot, but it was blocked by an Alaves player. The ball flew high and out, avoiding danger for Alaves. Madrid was not awarded a corner, despite the Alaves player being the last to touch it.

As of now, possession stood at 67% for Real Madrid and 33% for Alaves. This, along with the scoreline, reflected the game’s situation. Real Madrid had been defending well and was performing excellently until this point.

For a long time, until the 67th minute, there had been no significant threats on either side’s goal, and both teams mostly played in the middle of the field.

In the 68th minute, an Alaves attacker found himself at a tight angle on the left side of the box. He attempted to pass the ball to a teammate in the center, but a Madrid defender intercepted it and cleared it out of danger.

In the 69th minute, Modric and Endrick replaced Valverde and Rodrygo. Both Valverde and Rodrygo had played well, with Rodrygo even scoring a goal. This was the first time Valverde had been substituted in the game, according to the commentator.

In the 71st minute, Alaves made two more substitutions. They had already made two changes and, since then, began pressing slightly better. The fresh legs appeared to benefit Alaves in this match.

Mbappe initiated an attack in the 72nd minute. He received the ball and ran into the box on the left side but was surrounded by several Alaves defenders and stumbled to the ground. The referee urged him to get up and continue, as there was no foul.

In the 73rd minute, Bellingham sent a cross into the center for Vini to head, but Vini missed the opportunity. Endrick, on the left, received the ball but was tightly marked by an Alaves defender, who even held his shirt. However, Endrick continued into the box on the right and unleashed a powerful left-footed shot. The ball was deflected by another defender but still hit the right side of the crossbar before bouncing back into play and going out for a throw-in. Endrick once again demonstrated his daring and powerful attempt to score.

Up to the 75th minute, Courtois had been just a spectator, as noted by the commentator, and I concur. He hardly had to defend any serious threats in this match so far.

Just before the 75th minute, an Alaves player sent a long ball into the box from the right side. The attacking player nearly got to the ball inside the box, but Rudiger snatched it away and was clearly offside. Had he not been offside and managed to beat Rudiger, he would have had a good chance to score, needing only to beat Courtois. This was the first opportunity for Alaves in quite a while.

In the 77th minute, another Alaves player received the ball on the left flank and ran into the left side of the box. He was open and took a shot, aiming for the far post. His powerful shot struck the far post, bouncing parallel to the goal line and out of play. This was a serious attempt, and the ball missed the goal by mere inches.

In this second half, Alaves had created a few threats to Real Madrid’s goal.

According to the commentator, this was the 300th game for Carlos Ancelotti as the manager of the club, and he had won 216 of those matches.

In the 80th minute, Guler replaced Mbappe, and Militao was substituted for Vallejo. I believe Vallejo was playing his first La Liga match for Madrid.

Endrick received a yellow card for a reckless challenge to an opponent, an unnecessary and foolish action that warranted the card.

Alaves had their turn in the 85th minute as they pressed into Madrid’s half. While clearing the ball, Lucas’s pass was intercepted by an opposing player, who then passed it to their captain, Protesoni. His powerful shot from just outside the box went through several Madrid defenders and found its way into the Madrid net. The ball hit the left post and went in, and despite Courtois diving for it, he could not save it as it was too far and too fast.

Just a minute later, in the 86th minute, Alaves scored their second goal in a surprising turn of events. Alaves players maintained possession in the middle of Madrid’s half when one player sent the ball to the right side of the box, targeting their attacking player, Kirke, in front. Kirke received the ball well and, despite being chased by Vallejo, managed to shoot from the left side of the 6-yard box, beating Courtois and scoring Alaves’s second goal.

Alaves had scored two goals in two minutes. Madrid had been losing possession to their opponents, and Alaves began to control the ball better, pressing into Madrid’s territory in the final ten minutes. It appeared that Madrid’s defense had suddenly weakened, and Alaves was pressing harder. If Vallejo had been more active, he might have foiled the second goal.

Real Madrid looked shaky, not just in terms of score but also in their performance during the last few minutes. Alaves, on the other hand, seemed to gain confidence, controlling the ball more effectively and covering more ground in the opposition’s half. The dynamics of the game had shifted; Alaves looked like a different team and maintained constant pressure on Madrid’s goal.

Fran Garcia replaced Vinicius in the 90th minute. An additional six minutes of extra time was added.

Endrick launched an attack from the right wing, receiving the ball from Modric in the 91st minute. His shot was well blocked by the keeper, foiling the attack.

Modric received a yellow card in the 96th minute for arguing with the referee.

Mbappe was declared the man of the match.

Alaves had more attacks in the last 15 minutes of the game than throughout the entire match. This shift was due to changes in Madrid’s defense. Militao is a strong and superb defender, and once he was replaced, the defense appeared to collapse. In the closing moments, it looked like Madrid was playing with a completely different team. Ancelotti needs to be cautious about substitutions in future matches.

Statistics

(Source: scorvisit.com)

Real Madrid                             Deportivo Alaves

69%            Ball Possession           31%

10                Total Shots                   12

4                  Shots on target            3

4                  Corner kicks                4

2                  Offsides                          1

7                  Fouls                               10

4                 Yellow card                   0

736            Passes                             326

91%           % passes                         78%