Real Madrid vs Real Betis

Score: 2 – 0
1 September 2024
Santiago Bernabeu Stadium

First Half Analysis

This game was very important for Real Madrid as they had already lost 4 points in earlier games. In this game, Real Madrid must win and earn some points to keep pace with the other teams. Real Madrid has not lost a game at their home ground since April 2023.

The first 5 minutes of the game were slow and uneventful. On one occasion, while clearing the ball, Courtois stepped on the foot of an opposing player inside the box, but no offense was given, or it could have been nasty for Madrid at the very beginning of the game.

The first chance for Mbappe came around the 7th minute when Carvajal sent a pass from the right side at the 6-yard line, but Mbappe barely made contact with the ball, and it went out of play.

Around the 10th minute, a Betis player on the left wing delivered a dangerous ball into the center of the D area, and an attacking player headed the ball, but it flew over the bar and out. It could have been a very dangerous situation for Real Madrid if the ball had been directed on target.

In the 20th minute, Real Madrid earned a corner kick. Militao headed the ball towards the post, but the ball landed in the keeper’s hands, who blocked it away. The rebound was found again by Militao, and he barely managed to push the ball, but it went out. This was a good opportunity missed by Madrid, which came after a long spell of the game.

So far, the game was just moving along, with nothing very exciting or passionate happening. The Madrid side was lacking their usual, dangerous, and frequent attacks on the goal. I hoped those would come in later phases of the game.

In the 22nd minute, Vini passed the ball to Mbappe inside the box, and Mbappe flicked the ball high towards the post, but the keeper was alert enough to catch it with no difficulty. Again, around the 24th minute, Valverde had a ground shot towards the post, but the ball took a deflection and still headed for the post, and the goalkeeper caught it with ease.

In the next minute, the 25th, Valverde passed the ball to Mbappe inside the box on the right-hand side, and Mbappe sent the ball towards the post, but it rolled out to the left of the goal. So far, Mbappe had some attempts to secure a goal for his team, but luck hadn’t favored him yet.

Up to the 28th minute, Betis had not posed any serious threat to Real Madrid goalkeeper Courtois. So we can say the defenders were doing a good job until that time.

By the 38th minute, the score was still nil for both sides. Real Madrid had 59% possession, while Betis had 41%.

In the 39th minute, there was a counterattack by Vini and Mbappe. Mbappe got the ball and passed it to Vini, who ran forward and crossed the ball inside the box aiming for Mbappe, but the pass was a bit too far for him, and he missed it. Rodrigo, who was also running in from the right side, couldn’t reach it either as it was a bit too far from him as well.

The Vini and Mbappe connection was working well, but it only failed to finish the job. I hope that with more practice and game experience, they will be able to find better ways to manipulate the game to their advantage.

There were no goals from either side by half-time. Madrid pressed for most of the time and created some good chances, but they were unable to convert them into goals. Real Madrid played better than in their previous games, with better ball control and improved coordination among the players; the defense looked good too. According to the commentators, Madrid was missing something that Kroos used to provide, like finding the right players in the right places, passing to those players, and creating chances for the team. Real Madrid had a total of 11 shots, with 3 on goal. I hoped they would produce better results in the second half.

2nd Half Game Analysis

A good chance arrived in the 50th minute of the second half when Valverde had a solo run with the ball and passed it to Vini. Vini, on the left flank, received the ball, got inside the box, and took a shot aimed at goal, but the ball hit the left post and rebounded. The rebound fell to Mbappe, and he shot the ball too, with only the keeper between him and the net, but the ball went high and out of play. This was a real goal-scoring opportunity for Madrid, and everyone thought it would be a goal.

In the 52nd minute, Vini went on the attack from the left flank and inside the box. Two defenders stood in front of him, and he flicked the ball, possibly aiming for a pass, but it hit the hand of a defender. The referee didn’t give a penalty as the hand was in a normal position by the side of his body. The fans were unhappy with the referee, as is usually the case in such situations.

In the 58th minute, while Madrid was on the attack, Ceballos was fouled by a defender inside the box and fell. But the referee said to play on, thinking it wasn’t a foul. Immediately after this, Betis launched an attack from the left flank, and their striker took a shot from inside the box at a narrow angle, but the ball only hit the side netting.

Vini received a yellow card for complaining after being blocked and held by a defender, which he clearly didn’t like. I think Vini has developed a habit of complaining a lot these days, which might cost him in future games.

Betis had opened up and started attacking more frequently. In the 61st minute, a ball was crossed into the box, and a player headed it towards goal, but Courtois was alert and stopped the ball.

In the 64th minute, Betis had a corner. An attacking player sent the ball into the center close to the bar, but Courtois tipped it over the bar for another corner, saving the situation. Betis launched another attack and was lurking dangerously inside the box, but the ball was cleared, avoiding danger for Madrid. Betis was attacking more than they had in the first half.

Carvajal also received a yellow card in the 65th minute for his reactions and talking. Carvajal is another player who talks a lot, and he needs to be careful of this habit.

There were substitutions for Real Madrid in the 65th minute: Ceballos and Mendy were taken off, and Brahim and Fran Garcia came on.

As soon as Madrid made the substitutions, their luck shone with a goal. Rodrygo passed the ball to Valverde just outside the box, and Valverde cleverly back-passed it toward the post for Mbappe. Mbappe rushed for the ball, one-on-one with the keeper, and finally scored his first La Liga goal at the Bernabeu for his team. Valverde’s back-pass tricked all the defenders and worked in Mbappe’s favor.

After Real Madrid scored, Betis also started playing a more attacking game, and the defense didn’t look as tight or congested as before. If this continued, Madrid might have more open chances to score.

In the 73rd minute, Madrid had a throw-in, which Brahim received. Brahim raced with the ball, beating two players from his own half towards the opponent’s box. From just outside the box, Brahim passed a beautiful ball to Vinicius, who was inside the box, ahead of the defenders, and one-on-one with the goalkeeper. But the goalkeeper rushed out, tangled with Vini, and made him fall.

There was a check to see if Vini was offside; VAR confirmed he was not. After a review, a penalty was awarded to Real Madrid. Mbappe, not Vini, took the penalty and scored with ease and composure.

Mbappe was substituted in the 84th minute and replaced by Modric. At one point, while attacking, Vini displayed his ball control skills, tapping the ball with his right foot several times. It was impressive to watch and something the fans loved.

Betis had an attack in the 86th minute, with four attackers against two Madrid players. It could have been dangerous, but the player’s shot from the right side was weak and easily caught by Courtois.

In the 89th minute, Rodrygo was replaced by Endrick. Just a minute after entering, Endrick had a good chance to score. Brahim, who had beaten three players, passed the ball inside the box to Endrick. Endrick, followed by two players, shot towards goal, but the keeper blocked it, and the ball bounced away.

By now, Real Madrid had 17 shots, while Real Betis had only 7. Vini and Mbappe performed well and proved to be powerful forces for the team. Valverde was superb, as he always is. His clever back-pass set up the first goal for Mbappe. Valverde, as usual, covered every corner of the field. Brahim also played forcefully and created several chances. This player should be given more playing time, as he contributes significantly to the team.

Mbappe was named Man of the Match for his two goals.

Statistics
Real Madrid                  Real Betis

60%              Possession           40%

21                 Total Shots           11

7                   Shots on Target   2

120              Attacks                 82

9                  Fouls                     17

7                  Corner                   3

2                 Yellow Cards        0

608             Passes                  421

(scorevist.com)