The Battle of Madrid

by samsurikamal

The match was fairly even as Atletico’s early surge saw them sprint to a two goal lead. Real Madrid responded well and asserted themselves more positively and in doing so created better chances. Benzema’s magical move in the lead up to Real Madrid’s goal was the turning point as it essentially ended the tie and shifted the balance of play in Real Madrid’s favour. Shots were somewhat equally distributed between the two sides — Atletico had 18 (seven on target) to Real’s 20 (six on target). Taking everything into account, xG (a measure of quality of shots taken) was tied at 1.9 for both teams but excluding the penalty, it was 1.9 to 0.9 for Real.

If there was any question as to who has the easiest claim as the best midfielder in the world, they should have been put to bed by Modric’s splendid performance. The Croatian is beyond words and really does seem to conduct an orchestra with his feet. The catalysis when things get tough, he was instrumental in allowing Real Madrid to ride the tumultuous period at the beginning of the match.

Isco had an interesting performance. Similar to last week and against Bayern Munich at home, his influence was undeniable and fundamental for the success of the team. However, there is little doubt he didn’t shine as brightly as he could have and that the team would have been much more potent if he displayed more consistent decision-making in key situations. Specifically, his passing in certain moments was disappointing and failed to take advantage of great opportunities to create good quality chances. Overall, he was stellar and did things only he’s capable of but it is fair to hope that he upgrades his game slightly to be even more impactful.

And so Real Madrid qualifies for its second Champions League final in as many years. They are one step closer to attaining the unprecedented and herculean Champions League repeat. The team deserves many plaudits for making it this far but there is no time to rest on their laurels as they take on Sevilla in the first of three remaining La Liga finals this weekend.